The Darkest Dawn
by Sara Moon
Summary: Prequel to "Lost Before the Dawn" - "Abide in what remains 'til the shadows end and we meet again on the dawning of the day…For when shadows end, we shall meet again on the dawning of the day…" Mai x Naru - Completed!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, this has been a long time waiting and I have finally decided to start posting it! So sorry for the delay! As always, I hope you enjoy and please review and let me know what you think! This is BEFORE "Lost Before the Dawn" and so it is roughly right after the series ends.

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The Darkest Dawn

~Prequel to "Lost Before the Dawn"~

"_Abide in what remains 'til the shadows end and we meet again on the dawning of the day…For when shadows end, we shall meet again on the dawning of the day_…_"_

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If there were ever something that the world revolved around, then by logical conclusion that something must be tea…

Tea, tea, and more tea.

Mai had finally come to deem tea the center of the universe; the way her boss demanded it, it had to be so. Sure, she had been hired to do administrative work…though she had already partaken in her fair share of cases, but it seemed as of late she was nothing more than a waitress.

Things had been pretty slow for the past month or so. She had easily caught up on her share of paperwork and at the moment she lacked anything to do that was worth her time. Mai decided that the only reason, there could not be any other reason, she was being kept around on such slow days was to make tea and serve it whenever 'his majesty' called for it.

Shibuya Kazuya, or Naru as Mai thoughtlessly deemed, was certainly a king in every meaning of the term. He was a natural leader…demanding and resolute in his commands. Arrogant, narcissistic, and proud with the looks to match…he was a man like none other. His skill in coercion and manipulation were next to none, not to mention his exemplary wit and brains. Oh yes, Naru was the kind of king that every woman would swoon at based upon looks alone if nothing more. Mai had seen it on several occasions in fact, though it only served to irritate her more since she knew Naru was aware of his amazingly good looks and often used that fact to his advantage.

Mai was proud of the fact that upon her first meeting with one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on, she had not fallen prey to that deceptive charm Naru was so proficient at as her friends so easily had…though she had to admit, that was definitely not the case now…

Mai was totally and completely charmed by her boss…

Even though she knew his true character, Mai could not help but be attracted to him. Mai even found it strange that she could be so interested in such a guy…but she was. She was not sure if her feelings were simple infatuation or maybe just a crush, but she was positive that she liked Naru…and not just his looked either.

Mai was a healthy normal high school girl after all, who wouldn't be attracted to looks like that? But it was more than that, much deeper than that. Even if he angered her by his lack of common manners, seeming indifference and apathy, not to mention his most annoying aloof nature…Mai was drawn to her young boss that she knew nothing about.

As annoying as he was, Mai felt safe when she was with Naru…even in her dreams. He was always here to protect her when she was in trouble, even if he didn't have to be. He went out of his way just for her, used subtle and gentle means to cheer her up, and always, always called her by her first name.

In her dreams, even if he was her own creation, Naru would look out for her and help her understand and guide her through her dreams with the utmost kindness. That Naru all but vanished upon seeing the true and real waking Naru, but she still felt that in his own way even waking Naru was very, very kind.

Could the way she felt be more than just a crush? Could it actually be more along the lines of …

"Mai, tea." Naru's characteristic voice rang through the closed office door startling Mai from her thoughts. She didn't know why she had to think so much about him…it was pretty plain and simple already…

"Yes, yes" she called back in a rush not bothering to hide her irritation. "Coming…" She tapped softly on the door and took the silence as affirmation to enter. The room was much darker than her preference allowed, she had never really liked the dark, but Naru seemed right at home in the dim condition. "Here." She offered politely ever expecting a response.

But true to his character, Naru ignored her and continued on with his work wordlessly. "Is there anything else you need?" Mai spoke bitingly trying hard not to snap, but once again her existence was completely and utterly ignored. She had often been told on more than once occasion that her short temper and over emotional nature were traits that she needed to work on, but at that very moment she didn't care about her image or her control. "Fine! If you want anything, don't call for me! I'm going home!" She yelled angrily to a still unconcerned Naru. "See you tomorrow!" She voiced as she shut the door much harder than needed.

Naru smiled to himself as he listened to Mai loudly gather her things and exit the office. He knew Mai would probably hit him if she ever found out, but he secretly liked her angry and displeased reactions. The way her face would get red and her pouting expression were really entertaining for him. He was not really one for 'please' and 'thank you' anyway when it was not necessary so it really all worked to his benefit in the end.

"Is it really necessary to bully Taniyama-san so much?" Lin said calmly upon entering Naru's personal office. "If you're not careful, she might quit."

"She won't quit." Naru replied without even missing a beat.

"How can you be so sure?" Lin asked, hiding a smile.

"…she likes me too much…" he paused a moment, "She is much too easy to read." He let a small smile escape and Lin was pleased to see that there was at least a little resemblance to a teenage boy that he was.

"Here is the data you asked me to compile." Lin passed a manila file folder over the desk to his awaiting boss. "Are you thinking about accepting the case?"

Naru leafed through the contents of the file briefly, "I haven't decided yet…"

It was a tough call. The case seemed very mundane in his opinion as far as paranormal research went…so in that respect Naru found it to be rather uninteresting and not worth his time. On the other hand however, there had not been any cases at all as of late so it would at least serve as a good excuse to get out and do something. He had to admit that he was feeling a bit bored for the lack of a better term…

~x~

A Few Days Prior…

"Shibuya Psychic Research." Naru voiced in his best business tone. He was trying his best to hide his annoyance but it was posing to be rather difficult. As to the cause of his displeasure…that would be the fact that he actually had to answer the phone himself. Lin had made a trip to gather some information on an earlier case they were finally getting around to filing and Mai had stormed out about an hour earlier after he had taken his insults to her intelligence a bit too far.

"Yes…" the caller paused, a meek female voice said on the other end of the line. "I was referred this number…I am having some problems at my house…"

"What sort of problems?" Naru asked calmly. As long as it was business he could handle such a call, he was a professional after all even if he didn't like to be troubled by such trivial things.

"Well…" the woman started slowly. "My family and I recently moved into a new house about six months ago despite the fact that there were rumors about it being haunted. We didn't really believe in such a thing at the time and the price was too good to pass up…but shortly after we settled in, things began to happen…" she finished softly.

"Things?" Naru prompted.

"…Members of my family would start to act…differently, not like themselves at all. Recently, we would find them passed out in random places in the house. When they awoke they wouldn't know what happened. These instances have really been increasing as of late along with the condition, namely the deterioration, of our health." She continued softly. "I was urged to find help when things got worse…"

"Got worse how?" Naru asked while he jotted down some of the facts. "And please explain in more detail the effects on your health you and your family are experiencing."

"Well…" her words were soft. "I can't really say any of us have been injured, but we get sick all the time and we all feel very weak. Passing out and fainting are now common occurrences…it doesn't seem to matter how much we eat or sleep, we are always tired. I…I am fearful for our safety if this keeps up…"

"And how has the paranormal activity gotten worse?" Naru questioned with a little more interest.

"Yes, um…I guess you would call them 'possessions'…but in the beginning it would only happen on occasion and my family would only act as if they were sleep walking or in a daze. Now, it is happening all the time and I worry someone is going to hurt themselves. They all act so different and I will find them collapsed in odd places. They try to do things they normally wouldn't…sometimes, these things can be…" she paused, "rather violent."

"I understand." Naru said simply as he finished writing his notes. "Please give the details of your house and its location. I will contact you as soon as I come to a decision."

"Thank you…"

~Chapter 1 End~

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A/N: Sorry it is short! I will post more soon and please let me know what you think! THANK YOU FOR READING! :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Next chapter up! Please enjoy!

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A Week Later…

"Hey Naru-bou…why are we going on this case?" Bou-san asked with curiosity. "Any way I look at it, its just a typical haunted house…"

"Yeah, there is nothing special about it." Ayako added in. "We should be done with it before dinner!"

"Maybe the reason we are going is because they offered a lot of money or something!" Bou-san exclaimed in excitement. He was a little too enthusiastic Mai felt, especially for so early in the morning. No one should have that much excitement that early in the day…anyone.

Mai knew exactly why they were taking such a cut and dry case…Naru was bored…plain and simple.

She knew that her boss wanted to get out and do something, even if that something seemed mundane and simple to someone like him. She and the others were currently loading the vehicles for what seemed like at least a few days stay; she had packed enough for a least a week…just in case.

The details Naru had shared with them made the case seem pretty open and close but Mai knew better than to assume anything. They never knew fully what they were up against until they actually reached their destination. The case according to Naru, was going to be at an old, but in decent shape, western style manor…a typical looking haunted house by all accounts. Apparently, the house had a lot of history and was renovated soon after the war. The current family living that consisted of two related families…the sister, her husband, parents, and her two older children…and the brother, his wife, her parents, and their grown son. It was reported that everyone living in the house had experienced problems.

According to Naru, the problems sounded like simple possessions and that once they had identified the spirit or spirits, John would easily be able to exorcise it with little difficulty. Mai was especially concerned about the degrading health of the residents and even though he would never admit to it, Naru seemed fairly in that aspect as well. Being possessed by a spirit surely took up energy and strength, Mai knew that all too well, but the effects should not have been long lasting or progressive my any means…at least that is what Naru had told her.

The house was a considerable distance from the office so Mai was happy with the opportunity to nap and catch up on some much needed sleep while in route. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed Naru watching her with great interest. But she wasn't and had no idea what her young, workaholic boss had in store for her. Naru could read his assistant like a book…a very easy book at that. He had worked with the girl and had known her long enough already to know that she was being much too happy loading the van which could only mean that she had something planned. Knowing her, which he did, it probably had something to do with sleep.

"Are we going to head directly to the location?" Lin asked his young boss upon entering the driver's side of the van.

"Yes." Naru said flatly glancing to his side at a still overly enthused Mai. "I have already informed the others, they are ready and waiting for us to leave."

Without delay they were off. Mai had to admit she was still not used to traveling with the two stoic men to cases. Lin was forever calm and silent while Naru was always content researching or studying. It was awkward to say the least. She was grateful though with the fact that they usually left in the mornings so she at least had an escape with sleep…

"Don't even think about sleeping, Mai." A stern warning came from her side. Naru's voice rang out just as her eye lids were getting heavy. "Read these and brief me on the content when we arrive." He slid a stack of paper onto Mai's bewildered lap.

"Wha…what is this!" Mai exasperated, fiddling with the heavy papers before her.

"It's just some preliminary data that Lin collected on the house and the property."

"…Just…" Mai grumbled as she started to go over the pages. It was no use kicking up a fuss then and there anyway…Naru was already ignoring her and was already buried in his own pile of papers. She might as well be obedient…for now anyway…she had nothing else to do…

There was not much information about the house before the war but it most likely had belonged to and was built by a wealthy western merchant. The house itself was quite grand; well over 5,000 square feet in size sitting on over 25 acres of land. The house was damaged during the war but was bought and refurbished soon after. The house stayed in habited by the same family line that had purchased it until just recently. As it was handed down, rumors began to spread about it being haunted. The house was put up for sale due to the only remaining family member having to relocate for work.

Since logistics and logged facts were the only data present, Mai could not be sure as to what exactly founded the rumors of the house being haunted…but she was sure that they were going to find out.

Naru sighed and stretched back in his seat. Mai had long since fallen asleep and was currently curled into a ball at his side. He had managed to rescue his papers when be began to see Mai tip from side to side, but that was about the only saving grace of the situation. Even though she had been half asleep, Mai was still trying to read the pages which Naru found quite amusing. As soon as he had liberated the papers from her lap, Mai had collapsed to the side, sound asleep to the world.

Looking at her, Naru wondered how she could simply sleep anywhere and at anytime like she did…it must have been some kind of skill…

"Do you want me to pull over for a break?" Lin asked softly, taking Mai into consideration. He didn't want to be the one to break Naru's moment of enjoyment. He knew that the boy may have always complained about the girl being so careless and defenseless but Lin always could tell that Naru really enjoyed the time he was able to watch over Mai…even if he himself didn't realize the complete reason for his actions quite yet…Lin was sure he would come to figure it out some day.

"No, that won't be necessary." Naru spoke in an equally soft tone. "We are almost there anyway and Bou-san is still following."

"Have you already made the preparations to stay at the house?" Lin glanced sidelong in Naru's direction.

"I asked them to prepare a room we can use for a base and two rooms suitable for our use for sleeping." Naru replied not really paying much attention to his older assistant. He had better things to hold his interest. "She said they would have everything ready upon our arrival."

"Good, we should be there in about two hours…"

~x~

"Naru?" Mai called hesitantly. She had awoken to her familiar dream world which was unusual since they were not even at a case…it was a place she didn't really care to be in any more than she had to be. She could help out the team by being there…gathering information and what not…but it didn't change the fact that the place was scary as hell and usually scary things happened there that she rather not see or recall.

"Is that…the manor we are going to?"

A beautiful, old western style manor with delicate, detailed wood work and architecture rarely seen nowadays stood before her. Mai reached slowly for the ornate bronze door knob of the carved birds-eye maple door…

"Don't go inside…"

Mai's hand flinched and she stopped mid motion at the familiar voice. "Naru?" She asked softly as she turned to face the voice. Standing calmly behind her was a kind looking Naru, a soft expression on his face. "Why not?" Mai turned and glanced at the door again and at the rest of the house. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, no spirits or will-o-wisps, no dark auras or feelings…just the house in the dream like reality.

"It will target you if you enter…"

"What will?" Mai asked concerned. She knew she was vulnerable and susceptible to being possessed…but she didn't see anything there. "Do you mean the…spirit possessing and causing problems for the family?"

Her dream Naru remained oddly silent. His features now resembled that of the real Naru almost exactly the way he was scrutinizing the house and brooding over it. "I don't know yet…but I do know that it will not be safe for you there…" He paused and looked at her with clear and uninhibited eyes, "Please be careful…"

A soft laugh escaped Mai's lips. Even though it was often scary she loved waking up to the world in which Naru would say such things, even if it wasn't real. "I will be…don't worry!" She smiled and kicked her foot for emphasis, "I have the real you to protect me after al-"

Mai had stepped back as she spoke and tripped on the front step of the house, propelling her directly into the door. Mai tried to stop herself but to no avail. She slammed hard into the old door pushing it open with her momentum as she fell, a shock shot through her body like she had grabbed onto a live electrical wire.

"Mai!" A hand shot out to grab her before she hit the ground, but it was already too late. Mai landed flat on her back within the threshold of the house.

"Ouch…" She coughed and tried to sit up but her body felt unnaturally heavy. She was wrong when she had said that the house seemed normal; it was anything but. Every part of her being was telling her to move but the overwhelming foreboding feeling wouldn't seem to let her. "Wha…what is this?"

"Mai! Hurry up and get out of there!" Even her guide was telling her so; Mai was frozen with fear. She had never felt something like she was feeling now…it was terrifying.

"Naru!" Mai called out desperately, panic starting to set in. It took everything she had just to reach out her hand, but she was still so far away.

Dream Naru grit his teeth and made a move for the door. He didn't know why but it was dangerous in there and he knew he had to get Mai out of there as soon as possible. If he could just make it far enough to grab her hand… "Mai, come on, reach for my hand!" He got as close as he dared but Mai's panic-stricken expression inched him closer. The gap between them closed but it was still not enough.

"Naru!" Mai pleaded, "Please, I'm scared!" She hated the feeling of helplessness she felt in her dream world. Even if she begged for help, could the figment of a guide she created really be of any assistance? Who could help her when she was trapped in her own dream? He helped sort out her visions and helped her through them, show her he important parts…but could he really save her?

"…Wake up…"

"What!" Mai asked frantically through her panic, though she was so frightened no matter what words he had spoken to her she wouldn't have been able to comprehend. Her chest felt heavy and it was hard to breathe, it was an oppressing crushing feeling that would not go away no matter how much she struggled. Her body still tinged painfully from the shock she had felt when she had fallen through the entranceway and everything was notably sore.

"Wake up!" He shouted as he pounced toward her hand. "Take his hand and wake up!"

Startled and afraid, her eyed widened and she lunged forward to meet his grasp…oddly enough it was warm to the touch…

~x~

"Mai!"

Mai gasped and tightened her grip on what she was holding so desperately to. Her eyes flew open and she bolted upright almost toppling down into the foot-well of the van as she did. "Are you awake now?" Naru looked at her with mild concern from his seat next to her. The girl really did concern him sometimes…

Mai flushed as her gaze fell to her hand that was tightly holding onto Naru's. He suppressed the urge to smile at her expression even though he was highly amused by it. "You were calling for me in your sleep…were you having a bad dream?" He smirked knowing that Mai would probably be embarrassed beyond belief with the fact that she had called for him out loud. But if she had called for him so forcefully then something must have really happened…

Her heavy breathing and fearful expression were indication enough that she had just awoken from something less than pleasant. Not to mention she was still clinging onto his hand as if it were her only life line.

"…Something like that…" she muttered but refused to meet Naru's gaze. She was still calming down and didn't know what to make of her dream. She didn't see the form of any spirit that could be possessing anyone; her dream guide didn't even have anything to show her. But she did know that it felt horrible when she was in the house…

Naru sighed but didn't push the matter. "We will arrive soon; try to compose yourself before then." He knew that his assistant would come clean with it soon or he would find out for himself sooner or later. Right now his most pressing concern was the case and the manor that they were fast approaching.

~Chapter 2 End~

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A/N: I hope the case sounds interesting! Please review and let me know what you thought! Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Moving right along; let me know what you think and enjoy!

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"Move in the monitors first." It didn't take them long to reach the house, which Mai was not too thrilled about. She would have liked more time, but she did feel calmer now that everyone was around and her feet were actually on the ground. "We'll decide where to place video and audio once we have the base set up." Naru was already barking orders; he didn't waste any time at all.

"Thank you so much for coming." The lady of the house, and what Mai could only assume was her brother; spoke graciously to Lin and Naru. They both appeared ragged and worn out, just like they had mentioned over the phone. "We have prepared your rooms just as you had requested. My husband will show you the way to where you can set up."

"Thank you." Naru smiled the non-smile that Mai hated so much. It was so business like and deceptive. His eyes were not smiling! Why couldn't anyone else see that? Mai hated that smile more than anything. He briskly followed the family in accompanied by the rest of the team.

Mai paused at seeing everyone enter the house totally and completely unaffected. Had her dream been wrong? She still didn't feel right and there was definitely something not right with the house. She could feel it. "Masako…" she called before the medium had a chance to enter the house. "Do you…do you feel anything here?"

Masako paused and gave Mai a dubious look. "…No, nothing yet…" she finally replied. "Why?"

Mai glanced cautiously at the entranceway of the house. "Something feels…off…"

The medium followed Mai's gaze to the doorway and back to Mai's still concerned expression. "I don't sense any spirits or anything out of the ordinary so I don't think you have anything to be wary about." Masako finished in a haughty tone with an air of superiority.

Mai wanted to retaliate but she was occupied with watching the medium enter the house…unaffected. Was her dream really…really nothing? Maybe it wasn't even a spirit at all that was causing the problems…but if that was the case, then what else could possibly possess people? Maybe…maybe it really was all in her head…

~x~

The interviews with the members of the household were typical to say the least. Naru's uninterested expression was getting harder and harder to hide. It was just as they had explained over the phone, nothing new had occurred.

It took them less than an hour to set up the base, which was located in a large upstairs living room. They had also already been shown to their respective rooms…something Mai would rather not recall. Since the guest rooms held only two beds, she had been forced to be the odd person out by none other than Masako and now she was unsure where she was supposed to sleep. John and Bou-san had their own room, obviously Lin and Naru had claimed the other, and Ayako and Masako took the remaining room. She was either going to have to sneak into the room at a later time or just nest in the base room on the couch.

They had already pretty much set up most of the cameras Naru had wanted as well as the audio, and had even made a preliminary run through the entire manor. They had yet to explore the grounds but that would come later once Naru decided what he wanted every one to do.

The day progressed steadily without incident. They had thoroughly covered the grounds and made two more runs through the manor but had not found anything paranormal. Mai was pleasantly surprised when the family invited them all to join them for dinner that night.

After preliminary set up and gathering start point data, everyone had returned to the base to find out what was next on the schedule, though they had been interrupted by the invitation of dinner. Naru politely accepted and they were all soon seated in a formal dinning room at a large, glamorous table.

"I am sure it is hard on you all to plan for meals under these circumstances so please allow us to take care of them for you. You may join us here; it would be much easier that way." The sister spoke kindly and there were several nods of agreement.

"Thank you for your kindness, it is appreciated." Naru was still in full business mode and was uncharacteristically kind and polite. Mai could already tell that Naru was rapidly loosing interest in the case. They had not even been there a full day and Naru's boredom was becoming more and more apparent.

"I think we should perform some rituals to ward off anything tonight before something happens. The sooner we can finish this the better." Ayako spoke in a rather knowing manner. They had all returned to the base after dinner to decide a plan of action. The miko was sure the case was not complicated at all and could easily be solved in no time.

"I agree." Bou-san actually, for once, agreed with the snobby miko. If it was just a simple spirit, warding rituals would purify the house and keep away any unwanted guests. John could easily make the spirit move on if it had already possessed something or someone, so in theory the case should be solved quickly and without trouble. "We should try what we can now; it might be a simple fix!"

Mai resisted the urge to laugh out loud upon seeing Naru's uninterested expression. The monk looked like he was about to yell something since he was being ignored but Naru soon answered, calming the situation instantly.

"Do as you please since you both are in agreement." Naru spoke lazily. "Lin, continue to see if you can find anything new on this house and also look into the family history of the current residents. We need to rule out that they may have brought something to this house from their previous location."

"Understood." Lin quickly returned to his computer to keep up the research.

"Go around the house and to the family members with Hara-san and try to find something. I want to know if either of you feel anything." Naru directed his command at John and the blond priest nodded in affirmation. Masako followed John, Bou-san, and Ayako from the room.

It was already evening and everyone wanted to get their task done and over with before it was too late at night. "Mai." At the mention of her name, Mai jumped slightly before settling down. It always seemed that the tone of voice he used for her was different than normal…she was defenseless against that tone…

"Yes?"

"Stay here and watch the monitors." She should have known. Naru spoke so simply but Mai was not surprised. He signaled to Lin to follow him. "Call me if anything happens. We will return after awhile." Mai watched, rather dumbfounded, as Naru and Lin strolled from the room. How long was 'awhile'? They left without even saying what they were doing or where they were going.

Mai made a disgruntled noise. "Honestly…" She was not happy with the situation; not happy at all. She still didn't feel right about the house…she just couldn't pin point her anxiety but it was there none the less. She especially didn't like the fact that she had been left all alone and that it was already dark outside. Mai feared that she would fall asleep while trying to watch the monitors…which was what she least wanted to do.

"Agh! I can't take this anymore!" Mai declared as she bolted upright from her seat. She began to pace the room compulsively brooding about what she could do to keep herself awake. Usually she would just load herself up with caffeine but she had to stay near the monitors so running off to make tea or coffee was not an option.

In a similarly compulsive way, Mai started to organize the room where ever she could. She moved all the clutter in the room to look neat and organized. She fiddled with the décor of the room and made sure everything was straight, clean, and level all the while talking to herself like some crazy person to occupy her mind. "Stupid Naru…stupid Lin…stupid chair…" Mai kicked at it with her foot before moving it to a straighter position. "Who would actually buy a chair like this anyway? It is so gaudy and doesn't even look comfortable…"

Mai sat in the chair and continued to grumble irritably. "Not even close to being comfortable! Just like those tables over there; you're useless! Maybe Naru would find you comfortable but I must say that would probably be due to the fact that he enjoys being uncomfortable…or at least it looks that way to me! Maybe he doesn't know what comfortable is!" She sighed, exasperated. She had now been reduced to talking to furniture…things were in a low state indeed…

"I…I'm sorry…you are a nice chair…" Mai patted the arm rest as if it were a dog. "I am sure someone thinks you are comfortable. And those tables, as useless as they are, do actually fit in with the design of the room." Now that Mai took a good look around, the room really was furnished appropriately. Everything from the carpet to the drapes and light fixtures were perfectly matched and coordinated to fit in with the rustic nature of the house and the layout of the room. It was very authentic feeling but gave off the impression that it was hardly used or lived in.

Mai didn't really care for places such as that. She liked spaces to be warm and inviting with clear signs that the room was being used and lived in. As much as she disliked Naru's tastes in conditions and settings, at least the spaces he occupied were clearly used and worked in. His office for instance, was often dark and at first glance seemed cold but Mai knew it was anything but. It was actually quite warm and every inch of the space had Naru written all over it…Mai loved that room even if she told her self she didn't.

But this room…this house…did not feel warm. There was something about it that Mai didn't like. The dream she had when she first arrived kept playing over and over in her head…the horrible feeling she had when she fell through the door had not disappeared. She could still feel the unsettling shock throbbing through her…she didn't like it one bit. What was wrong with this place?

It seemed as if there was no other option but just as Mai was about to resign to her fate and stop foolishly doing oddities to stay awake, she perked when she heard the door open. Mai quickly turned, hoping that Naru had returned, but found one of the sister's children instead. Just as quickly, Mai pushed the depression from her mind…this wouldn't be so bad, it was better than being alone.

The girl of ten or so slowly made her way into the room. Mai was overjoyed that she might have someone to talk to, someone that was not furniture, and moved enthusiastically closer.

However, it soon became clear that she was not so fortunate.

The smile that Mai had been wearing swiftly faded and her steps slowed to a stop. It was painfully obvious that the girl was possessed. Mai fought the urge to shudder but her body had a mind of its own. The girl's eyes were deathly vacant and she walked as if her body was not her own; she was like a doll.

Mai clenched her hands tightly…she didn't feel anything. She glanced rapidly to the monitors and was shocked to find that all the readings were holding constant. If it was indeed a spirit, then it was sure not an ordinary one. Mai knew that she had to keep the girl there in order for John to perform an exorcism…but even that task was rather daunting to think about, not to mention how she was going to get anyone to come to the base…

"Who are you?" Mai demanded an explanation. "What do you want?" She was met with silence; the child seemed to be completely unaffected. There was no response at all, not even a flinch. It was as if she was blocked from all of her surroundings. Mai startled as the child started to advance inadvertently cornering her to the back of the room. She was merely a child sure, but Mai didn't want to risk fleeing passed her or even trying to make any sudden move. It was probably best to just face her directly like she was and hope that someone would return soon while she had the girl distracted.

"Please talk to me…" Mai pleaded, "We're here to help!" Her back was to the wall and Mai started to fear what she was to do next. She knew she couldn't use her chant…she had learned that lesson already and she didn't want to hurt the kid unless it was absolutely necessary…

~x~

"Are you heading back now too?" John voiced as he met up with Naru and Lin in the hallway returning to the base.

"Yes, how was your search?" Naru spared Masako a glance and continued to walk. He was not particularly interested in her but he was curious if she was reacting to anything or anyone in the house. From his observation, that was not the case.

"Everything seems normal thus far…" The priest sighed slightly. He desperately wanted to help the family with their plight. They were all so weary looking and weak. They needed help and he knew that he would be able to if only the cause would show itself. He was determined to do what he could to aid them.

"I have yet to sense anything." Masako added on. She was also aware of the testimony and the look of the family but she really didn't feel anything that would be of concern. Mai had asked her what she felt when they had first arrived, a scared and uneasy expression etched onto her features. Had Mai felt something that she hadn't? Why didn't she say anything if she had? It was almost like seeing the damage caused from a cat being locked in your house yet not being able to find the cat. It was clear from all the evidence that there was 'something' here but she could not find it no matter how hard she tried.

Naru paused, a strange sensation washed over him suddenly…briefly. It happened so quickly but it troubled the boy none the less. "Naru?" Lin asked when he noticed his boss' hesitation. It was rare to see him with such an expression and surely it couldn't mean anything good.

"Let's hurry…" Naru briskly walked to the base and burst open the door more aggressively than what was probably necessary but Naru could not calm himself down nor could he ease the strange worry that was welling up inside of him.

At the back of the room, pinned down by a child, Mai was trapped to the floor covered in scuff marks and scratches…it was clear they had been fighting. "Answer me!" Mai yelled loudly, pinning the girl's small hands away from her neck. She continued to demand with rising frustration and anger, but was met with no response. The girl really was nothing more than a doll; what in the world did it want from her?

"John!" The priest quickly moved forward at Naru's command and rushed to Mai's side. He quickly and efficiently placed the cross and voiced his words not a moment too soon. The child fell unconscious and Mai was finally able breath a sigh of relief.

"Explain what happened here." Mai didn't even bother to hide her obvious roll of her eyes. Naru didn't waste anytime at all. He could have maybe asked if 'she' was okay or wondered how the little girl was, but no…no, that was not the way Naru worked; it would have been nice though if he had shown 'some' concern for her…she was just battling a possessed child after all.

John held the child upright and Masako finally made her way into the room. "She attacked me…so…I fought back…" Mai mumbled feeling rather stupid with the words that left her mouth. She just knew Masako had arrived just in time to hear her explanation so that she could harass her about it later. She could just hear it now; 'You attacked a child…my, how vulgar of you.' It was not like she had any other choice in the matter but unfortunately no one else was there to see that fact.

"I can see that, anything else?" She may have seemed like an idiot but she hated it when Naru talked to her like one. His tone was short and to the point, he obviously wanted something more substantial but Mai really didn't know what else to add. That was what had happened, short and simple.

"Not really…all the readings in the room remained constant this entire time but it was obvious that the girl was possessed…"

Naru paused a moment and glanced to the monitors. A glance was all he needed to confirm that true to her word, there were no discrepancies at all. "Hara-san, input."

Masako slowly moved forward, coyly hiding the majority of her face. Mai just knew there was a nasty expression under that beautiful kimono sleeve of hers and that she was just itching to say something to her. "I briefly felt…something…the moment of the exorcism, but it disappeared soon after." Masako revealed almost shyly. "I do not feel anything now…" She attempted to slide next to Naru but he expertly side stepped away from her advance.

"Take the child back to her mother and assure her that the girl will be fine. Tell everyone to report back here." Naru said even though he looked like he was deep in thought, no doubt he was trying to piece together the new evidence they had received. John and Masako quickly left the room leaving Mai alone in the awkward silence of the space.

She hated silence…

"…It was like nothing was there…" Mai said softly from her location on the floor once the others had vacated the room. She felt more at ease when she was able to talk to Naru with out the prying eyes of a certain medium watching her every move.

"What do you mean?" Nare moved closer.

"I mean the girl…it was like she was empty." Mai tried to explain the best she could but she was finding it difficult to find the right words. Usually there would be some indication of a spirit or something when a person was possessed…but this time there was nothing; nothing at all… "I didn't see a spirit…"

The case was certainly no typical haunting like they had all assumed…

~Chapter 3 End~

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A/N: Child battle! Woo! That would be rather interesting...anyway! Please review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And we continue on!

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"How in the world did you get all these injuries from a child!" Ayako exclaimed in a huff as she yet again slapped another band aid over one of the several cuts covering Mai's body.

A scowl formed across Mai's pain stricken features and she flinched as the miko roughly applied first aid. "She was tough! Don't let her size deceive you, and besides it was not like I could fight back for real against a kid…"

"Ha! You're much too kind Mai-chan!" Bou-san patted her from behind. "At least we were finally able to see what the family was talking about with our own eyes. Though, I doubt it will be much of an issue after tonight since I purified this place!"

"Don't you mean it won't be an issue since 'I' purified this place!" Ayako retorted angrily shooting a deadly glare in the monk's direction.

"No, no since yours never work! I definitely handled this one myself!" Mai could feel the tension in the cold, uninviting room rise considerably.

"They do too work you conceited, lame excuse for a monk!" The bitingly harsh words only added fuel to the fire.

"Since when, you anything but pure, old wanna-be miko!" That was it, how dare he cross that fine line. No man anywhere ever said that to a woman and still walked away intact especially not to her. Ayako would make sure he would never be the same again after that comment.

"Why you bas-" The fight was imminent and Ayako had already balled her fists, ready to strike until Naru's cool and commanding voice stopped her.

"We'll end things here for tonight and resume in the morning." Naru turned his back and headed toward Lin and the monitors. It was clear that all conversation was at an end. John quietly followed Bou-san out the door and Mai could hear Ayako pick up the previous battle as soon as she passed the threshold of the base room and away from the glaring eyes of their boss. Masako shot Mai a haughty smirk as she practically sashayed after the rest of the team.

Mai wanted to smack that look off her face so, so badly…just once, that's all it would take to make her feel better. But Mai let go of her anger gracefully and sighed. She slowly trudged over to the couch and flopped down dejectedly. It wasn't really that big of a deal anyway…she could practically sleep anywhere after all.

"What are you doing?" Mai startled at Naru's voice despite herself. She never could get used to it…it didn't seem to matter how many times he talked to her…she still got that strange tingly feeling when he spoke to her directly. He was looking at her with great interest and Mai just knew she was starting to blush for no reason what so ever.

"I was…uh, kicked out of the room…" The mumbling tone couldn't hide the feeling of stupid Mai was feeling at that very moment. Naru would probably berate her with a lecture on her failure as a human being and that she needed to stop it before it infected his grandeur. "The room only had two beds…but I was just going to sleep here or sneak into the room later…" Mai tried to explain and avoided eye contact at all costs. She was going to get an ear full any second.

Oddly enough, Naru remained quiet with a disapproving look firmly in place…Mai hated that look, probably more than any lecture she could get…that look surely topped them all. It was not like it was her fault anyway. "Stay the night in our room." Naru finally spoke smoothly, though he seriously wondered if Mai had even heard the invitation.

A furious blush stained Mai's face and she tried to stammer out a reply but it was impossible. She knew he enjoyed teasing her but that was going a bit too far. She'd rather sleep on the floor than suffer the probable heart attack she would no doubt suffer if she was in close proximity to Naru at night.

Defenseless sleeping expression…disheveled hair, rumbled pajamas from sleep…sheets and blankets strew over a warm bed…the look that he would have upon first waking…

It was too much, way too much. Mai's fantasies were out of control with no hope of recovery. She was already lost to her wild imaginations and was surely going to collapse at any moment from over stimulation. Forget about a heart attack…it would be a full blown cardiac failure.

Naru hid his amusement well but he really did enjoy seeing Mai's reactions to his teasing. She was always so expressive and sporadic. She was all over the place, jumping from one emotion to the next with hardly a thought. "There is a day bed in our guest room in addition to the two beds." A sly smirk formed on Naru's face as he explained with great pleasure. "It would at least be better than the couch…and being alone…"

It was true; Mai couldn't agree more about that. There was no way she would be able to refuse now even if she wanted to…not that she really wanted to or anything in the first place. "F-fine…" Mai reluctantly agreed and followed Naru and Lin down the lavishly furnished hallway to their designated guest room.

Lin found Naru's actions slightly surprising even if that surprise didn't show on his face. There were several other options than what he had chosen that would have been much more logical. It was starting to become apparent that Naru had an affinity toward Mai that maybe even he didn't quite realize yet. It was nice to see him actually take interest in another human being and not just his research or work.

Mai entered the dimly lit, modestly decorated guest room nervous as hell. Just as Naru had said, there was a day bed located under a large window against the far wall. Naru watched as Mai fidgeted in her seat on the small bed. He found the sight much more entertaining than he probably should have. "Do you need something, Mai?" He smirked as she jumped at the mere sound of his voice. He knew perfectly well what was wrong with her but it was fun to see how jumpy she was.

"No!" Mai voiced hastily thought it was obvious that there was something troubling her, though it didn't take a genius to figure out what.

"Alright." Naru practically cooed as the words left his mouth. "I'm turning out the lights so someone won't peek as we change." Mai could practically hear the smirk that was no doubt plastered to his face as the room went dark.

Rustling noises echoed throughout the room and Mai dove under the covers as quickly as she could. She had stupidly left her bag in the room she was supposed to be sleeping in, but she didn't need to change…it was not like she was going to be able to get any sleep anyway. There was no way she was going to be able to calm down enough to fall asleep.

The room was silent and Mai could hear the soft breathing of the men on the other side of the room. Was Naru asleep? Was he listening to her too? Mai internally hit herself over a thought like that. There was no way he was paying any attention to her any longer. He had probably forgotten about her as soon as his head had hit the pillow…she was not worth his consideration; that was just the way he was and that fact would not change.

Despite Mai's own thoughts, she fell asleep relatively quickly although she was not fortunate enough to have a dreamless night…

~x~

Darkness faded to light and Mai found herself in the hallway of the house at what seemed like an earlier time. Sunlight poured in through old but clean windows and Mai could even hear the birds chirp from the trees just outside. The girl she had fought with earlier rushed passed her after a toy down the hall. Mai followed with endless curiosity since she had no idea what else she was supposed to do.

Several other family members passed her by as she meandered through the house watching them complete ordinary, mundane daily chores. The kids played, the laundry was completed, homework and business were taken care of, and meals were prepared. It all seemed so normal and Mai wondered why nothing was happening.

Was there a purpose to her dream or had she just stumbled into it without reason? "Why…why am I here?" Mai questioned herself out loud unintentionally. What else was she supposed to do?

"Because you can be…"

Spinning on her feet, Mai flipped around to see her guide standing behind her. No matter how many times he did that, she could never get used to him popping out of nowhere like he did. He always caught her off guard and it scared the heck out of her more than it ever should have. "What kind of answer is that!"

"The right one." He answered with a soft chuckle and started to walk away briskly. Mai quickly followed Naru's lead and found herself back at the play room where the two children were occupying themselves with copious amounts of toys. "What…is that?" Mai questioned as she watched the little girl's aura darken.

"She's being possessed." Naru explained grimly. It dawned on Mai suddenly that she must have been seeing the events prior to the girl attacking her. Just how long had she been possessed? What drove her to the base room that evening?

"It's not safe for you here; you should leave the house as soon as you can." Mai turned to face her dream Naru and was met with a serious expression.

"…But this already took place…I'm fine and John already exorcized the little girl." Mai continued to watch the scene before her though she was rather confused with the warning she was receiving.

"That's not what I meant…"

"Hrm? Then-" Mai started but her vision suddenly faded and changed to a montage of images, like a slide show of all the family members going through the exact same event as the girl from earlier had. The odd darkening and the seemingly empty possession, Mai saw it all as if in fast forward, every event that had happened since they had made the house their residence.

Mai shuddered as she watched the family member's possessed bodies meander the house or garden before being discarded like used goods. It seemed like there was no rhyme or reason to the behavior and it seemed unable to occupy any one person for long before it hopped one to the next victim.

"Why won't it go anywhere?" Mai finally asked when the images slipped away to nothing and her background faded to neutral. No matter how much she saw, it was the same thing repeating itself over and over again. The 'spirit' just moved from one person to the other never ending. It did nothing, made them do nothing, and then just discarded the body until it picked the next body to inhabit and do the same exact routine over again. Didn't it have a purpose or goal in harassing the family? Why wasn't it doing anything or asking for anything? What in the world did it want?

"…It's already seen you…before the medium or the miko…or any other others. You are unguarded, it's going to…" The voice faded before Mai could hear the end but she knew that her guide had been talking with deep concern in his voice and frankly, it scared her.

"Wha…wait!" Mai called out with desperation but his figure was already disappearing from her sight. "Tell me more, please…" She pleaded in a last ditch effort to find out what he had wanted to share with her but it was already too late; she suddenly awoke with a jolt and without finding out anything more. Mai opened her eyes to a dark, cold room…it was still night. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she stared up into the darkened room.

Mai knew she was prone to being possessed, but she had for the most part gotten used to it. She was not strong and she was unguarded and oblivious half the time…she knew that she was. She didn't like to acknowledge it…but the truth was that she 'was' spiritually inclined and rather in tune with the paranormal whether she liked it or not. Maybe her senses where just higher than most or her ESP helped, but either way she seemed to be a favorite target for spirits and the like. Mai was convinced she has an 'attack me' sign on her somewhere…

That had to be it…

With that thought in mind, Mai rolled over and fell back to sleep. Her bed was warm and her eyes were heavy not to mention that it was still dark outside. She had a feeling things were going to get more interesting…much more interesting…

~Chapter 4 End~

* * *

A/N: Let me know how you liked it! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I meant to get this out yesterday...oh well! Here it is, so enjoy!

* * *

Morning broke and Mai found herself alone in the homely guest room. Big surprise…she would have liked to think that Naru was being considerate of her by allowing her to sleep and not wake her up, but sadly that was nowhere near the truth. Gentle rays of sun seeped through the window and Mai squinted against the brightness. It was only morning and things were already going down hill. Naru had let her sleep so that later he could make her suffer for the fact that she was late and lacked the simple competency to wake herself up like everyone else.

Oh yes, that was the 'only' reason the great Naru would do such an action. Mai could not understand why he liked to torture her so…could it really be that fun? It must have been considering how much he went out of his way, or so it seemed, to pester her.

Mai quickly sought out her bag in the other quest room. She was thankful that the room was empty. She didn't need a confrontation with a certain rival to dampen her already bleak morning. She changed and washed up in the bathroom briefly before she headed off to the dinning room. There was no real reason to rush, she was already late. But Mai hurried anyway. They had no doubt already started breakfast without her but she didn't really mind that she was going to be late…Naru was going to have his fun either way…

Light flooded the way to the grand dinning hall and Mai was in awe that the house was really quite beautiful in the sunlight. She walked hastily into the large expansive room only to see that her suspicions had been correct. Everyone, including the family, were already seated and well on their way with completing breakfast.

"You're late." Like she really needed him to point out the obvious; leave it to Naru to be the first to acknowledge her especially when it was technically his fault to begin with. Mai wanted to roll her eyes but it was too early in the day to start up the war and frankly she wasn't in the mood to banter with him at that very moment.

"Sorry, I overslept…" She grumbled as she approached the table and moved further into the large room.

"That's alright, there is plenty!" Mai smiled at the woman's inviting words. The family was warm and welcoming but Mai couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. "Please, sit down and join us." Mai was kindly invited to the table and she wasted no time in taking up the offer.

"You should have woken her up Naru-bou!" Bou-san complained on Mai's behalf in a much too enthusiastic manner. "If I would have known that she needed a bed to sleep in I would have gladly given up mine!"

Naru merely scoffed and the comment which Mai knew clearly meant that he wasn't even going to dignify such a statement with a reply. Mai glanced to the little girl from the night before. She looked pale and none too healthy…much like the others…but besides that she seemed as normal as could be. Her gaze soon fell upon the rest of the table and Mai stopped mid-advance.

"…Why…why are you doing this…?" Mai spoke softly stunning the room into silence with her low tone and startlingly serious manner.

"Mai?" Ayako dared to venture but she was completely ignored as Mai's fixated gaze never wavered from its target.

"Answer me!" More than one person in the room flinched as Mai yelled forcefully, hitting a clenched fist on the table top for emphasis. Mai's glare deepened as the man she was directing her anger at remained unaffected.

The sister's husband didn't say anything…his smiling, indifferent face was definitely more than odd given the circumstances. Naru swiftly signaled to Masako but the medium shook her head in the negative; she didn't feel anything…

"Mai-chan…calm down!" Bou-san tried to placate but Mai was beyond reason. It seemed like she was ignoring everything else around her and was completely focused on the man before her. The girl was always a tad overemotional but the way she was acting now was a bit more extreme than the monk had seen before.

"Answer me!" Mai yelled even louder but still her words elicited no response. She was beyond frustrated with the situation and with not getting any answers…last night and now; it was like she was talking to a shell. The lights were on, but no one was home.

Mai couldn't stand it…

Suddenly the man's demeanor changed and he smirked eerily up at Mai before he promptly fell unconscious onto the table. Mai gasped along with the majority of the occupants of the room. Even Naru could not hide his stunned expression.

Had the man been possessed the whole time he was with them at the table? He was so close to them, yet not one of them even noticed something was off. What in the world was going on?

Unmoving, Mai breathed heavily out of anger and frustration more than anything else. She had let it slip away yet again….whatever 'it' was…

"Base, now." Naru took control of the situation quickly and ordered the team to the base. He swiftly excused himself from the room and assured the family that they would look into it and in leaving asked them to inform him if anything else occurred. "How did you know?"

Mai looked away from Naru's questioning eyes once they were all reassembled in the base room. "I don't…know…" Mai trailed off.

"Then why did you yell at him as if he were possessed to which it seemed he really was?" Naru asked irritably. He hated such vague answers. Nothing could be garnered from such a response and right now they needed every bit of information they could get.

"I saw it…I just, I just knew…" Mai remained crossly unclear. She refused to meet anyone's eyes and occupied herself by looking out the large picture window in the room.

"Did you have a dream about it?" Bou-san took over with a lighter feel. He knew that sometimes Mai became stubborn to Naru's harsh and unpleasing means of questioning. Maybe she would open up to him instead. "Maybe you learned it from that?"

"No…"

"Well, did you feel something coming from that guy?" Ayako asked calmly. "He looked normal to me, but you picked him out right away."

"Not really…" Mai looked away from the group even more than she already was. It was the truth after all…but just what did set her off? She hated being so vague to her friends. She hated being unable to help even more but she didn't know what else to say. She really didn't know. She hadn't really felt anything per say from the man and she never saw it happen in her dream either.

Mai just knew…plain and simple.

"So you are saying you had nothing to base your accusations on and that it was just a random guess?" Naru was getting impatient and it reflected in his tone. Everyone knew he didn't like the answers he was getting but it was not like they could force her to say any different.

"No…" Mai mumbled. "I knew I was right…"

"How?"

"I don't know!" Mai shot back angrily. She was tired of being questioned especially when there was nothing to tell.

"How can you not know?" Naru shot right back with an equally cross tone that would have shut anyone up but it didn't seem to deter Mai in the least.

Mai spun on her heels and faced her young boss angrily. "I don't know!" She exasperated. "I really don't know any more so please don't ask me! I am really sorry I can't be of more help, but I really can't tell you what I don't know!"

Naru examined Mai's annoyed face and decided that she was most likely telling the truth. She didn't seem to be hiding anything and she seemed truly perplexed herself about the whole situation. For now they had other things that needed to be looked into…her problem could wait. They might find out more as time went on. "Fine, but if you do notice or feel anything is out of place again you will let us know; and that goes for the rest of you as well."

"Where do you want to go from here?" Bou-san asked taking a seat.

"We have seen two cases now since we have been here." John added. It was becoming more and more clear that the case was not as simple as they had all assumed. Their efforts had not succeeded and whatever was there was still there…despite their efforts.

"Go around the entire manor and the grounds again. Check the video and the audio on the way; make sure they are still functioning normally. Collect any added testimony from the family and then report back here." Naru glanced out the window Mai had been so intent on only moments before. "It is about time we start to formulate a plan…"

~Chapter 5 End~

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A/N: A short one, but I will post more soon! Please let me know how you like it so far!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Gah, I am so bad! started plotting and writing down a whole new GH story when I haven't even finished this one! Someone hit me!

* * *

Sun brightly illuminated the ornate craftsmanship of the house through large, perfectly placed windows…but for some reason Mai could not calm down. She was thankful that is was daytime at least, the house truly was beautiful when she got a good look at it.

From the very moment they had arrived, even before that if her dream counted, Mai had a bad feeling about the whole thing. The element of unknown was making it even worse. Was it a spirit, poltergeist, a ghost, or something completely different? What were its intentions or could it be a person calling the shots? Mai didn't like not knowing. She didn't like not being able to see or feel what was there. It was as if there was nothing there at all…

"Ah, sorry!" Mai stumbled backward and looked down at what had run into her; it was the little girl from before…

"I wasn't watching where I was going…" The child admitted apologetically.

"Ah, that's alright." Mai pushed the hair from her face and smiled. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going either!" The little girl smiled back and Mai kept up the act until the girl continued down the hall and rounded the corner.

Mai teetered back into the wall, the smile gone completely from her face. She didn't know why, but she found herself afraid of the family. The little girl had no ill intention whatsoever. She looked fine and happy and was anything but scary…but Mai was scared. She was afraid…and she didn't know why.

As the day wore on, that fact became painfully more apparent. Mai was leery of them…

"The family didn't have anything more to add…" Masako looked like she was about to jump Naru any second though he seemed totally oblivious to the fact.

"And all the equipment looks good." Bou-san added. "We all skewered the house and the grounds but nothing seems out of place."

Naru nodded in response and turned to Lin. "Have you figured out any new information on the family or the house?"

"Not anything worth mention, but it seems there was no problem with the family members before they moved here." Lin spoke in his normal monotone ignoring most everything else around him. "It is probably safe to assume that they didn't bring 'it' along with them to this house."

"We should not assume anything at this point." Naru commented dryly. He knew better than to assume but he also knew that they were running low on leads. It would be impossible to get anywhere if they couldn't even find a place to start. They needed more to go on…

"So what do we do now?" Bou-san asked looking around the room. What could they do? They didn't even know what they were up against let alone how to deal with it.

"I think we should-" Ayako started but was cut short.

"…Perform another ritual?" Bou-san finished for the miko with a deep grin. "Yours didn't work since that guy got possessed even after you did it!"

"Yours didn't work either! You stupid monk!" Ayako angrily shot back. "The guy got possessed after you did your ritual too!"

"That must have been some kind of mistake!" Bou-san held up his hands in mock defense. It looked like the angry miko was going to pummel him at any moment.

"Even though it is jumping from one person to the next, there has been a consistent down time between the possessions." John pointed out blissfully ignoring the monk, miko argument. "I mean it didn't jump immediately from the little girl to someone else…there was time in between. There must be someway we can limit its options…"

"Indeed…" Naru thought a moment. It was fairly rare for a spirit to be exorcised and pushed from one body only to go straight to another. But it was not all that common for a spirit to be doing what they were seeing either. Usually an exorcism would dispel any lingering spirit that was possessing someone or a cleansing ritual to disperse anything remaining around that was not in a body or object.

Naru found it odd that whatever was there was so well attached that they had so far been unable to dislodge it. "I want to cover as many bases as we possibly can. We need to start ruling out as many things as possible so that we can narrow down the options." Naru sat down the file folder he had been holding with the data pertaining to the house.

"So, you suggest what?" Ayako spoke but it was clear that she was still annoyed over a certain monk induced incident.

"John." Naru turned his attention to the priest. "Take Hara-san with you and bless the family and the house if at all possible."

"Alright, I will try my best." The priest answered kindly while Masako remained silent. She was too busy glaring daggers at a certain uninterested brunette to answer.

"Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san, I want you both to work on securing the passages of the house. We don't need anything else coming in or risk letting what we are dealing with escape. I am well aware that you have both already tried rituals on the house, but maybe you can try again and be a bit more specific this time around."

Still annoyed, Ayako ignored Naru's request even though she did hear it. "So, the goal is to limit this thing as much as possible uh?" Bou-san replied instead seeing that Ayako was not done pouting in defeat. "We can do that, leave it to us!" He spoke much too happily swinging an unwanted arm over Ayako's shoulder.

"Lin and I are going to implant a suggestion for all the family members. We need to rule out human influence on any of these events they have been reporting. We will know by tomorrow if there are any results." Naru paused and glanced at an uncharacteristically quiet Mai. She had not said a word the entire time and she looked as if she was not even paying attention to the conversation or her surroundings for that matter. "Mai." Naru called and the girl's eyes shifted their attention to him uneasily. "I want you to accompany-"

"Can I stay here and keep an eye on the monitors?" She spoke seriously and to the point. Her eyes locked with his and Naru could see just how somber she was. "Someone should remain here in case something happens."

Doubt filled Naru's look to his assistant. She hated staying in the base room normally. She didn't like being alone and would complain relentlessly that she was bored staying behind and yet now she seemed eager to be left there. Just what was she playing at? "Fine…" Naru finally agreed after giving her a dubious glance. "Alert us of any changes or if anything happens." It would be a lie if he said he wasn't worried about the girl's behavior, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment…he really had his hands full.

~x~

Mai watched as everyone filed out of the room. She certainly felt guilty about her behavior but she couldn't help it. She was not herself at all and she couldn't even figure out why. She was afraid for no reason at all. She was becoming increasingly paranoid…

Paranoid of everything…

Mai was fearful of the family and she was even becoming weary of her own teammates and friends. She didn't want to go with them; she didn't even want to be close to them. Just the thought sent shivers throughout her body. She was repulsed by the idea. Why would she be afraid of any of them? They had done nothing to warrant such feelings…yet she was feeling them none the less; quite overwhelmingly in fact. She couldn't explain why…but she was scared…

Mai was terrified…

"Where's Mai?" Bou-san asked over dinner, worry clearly laced within his voice. Everyone had conveniently finished their tasks right as evening drew near. Naru and Lin had just finished setting up the closed and secure scenario for the suggestion before they had rejoined everyone for a meal.

"Still in the base room." Naru replied simply. He was not sure as to why she had so unlike her holed up in the room alone but it was clear she was overly jumpy and something was making her that way…yet none of them, not even he, knew exactly what it was.

"What is wrong with her?" Bou-san asked looked increasingly concerned. "Do…do you this she is possessed?"

Naru paused and leaned back in his chair. "Not yet…"

~x~

The corridors to the base room were darkened with the approaching dusk but Naru didn't mind. He was rather fond of the dark; it calmed him down somehow. He had been forcefully sent to retrieve Mai for dinner based on everyone's continuing protest. He too was worried but he was glad to have the excuse that he was made to come by the others and that it was not of his own free will. If she asked he would tell her that it was troublesome and that she should stop bothering people with her worrisome behavior…though in truth he found it anything but troublesome…

Naru made his way to the door of the base room and pushed it open softly, careful to not make his presence known. He soon discovered Mai's sleeping form within and the only thing he could think about was what she was dreaming of. Was she having one of those dreams? Maybe that was what was troubling her? Did she really know something she wasn't telling?

With slight hesitation, Naru decided to wake Mai up anyway…she needed to eat after all. "Wake up…"

"_Wake up…" _

The same voice spoke at the same time and Mai jolted awake. She turned her head only to find Naru inspecting her and she suddenly recalled that she had just been with her dream guide with the same face as Naru…

Mai blushed deeply at the thought and at the proximity of Naru. She turned away from his intense gaze but there really was no place to hide…

"Were you dreaming?" Naru asked amidst his inspection of Mai. She looked like she was okay for the most part, despite the deep flush that adorned her face. "Did you find anything out?"

Mai peeked up. "…I was…" She admitted shyly keeping a steady gaze with Naru. "But I didn't find out anything new." The truth was harder to admit than she thought it would be. She so wanted to tell him something good, something that he could use...but there was nothing new at all. She had merely meandered the house again watching possession after possession, the same process repeating itself over and over again. There really was nothing for her to tell, even if she wanted to.

The dream…

There was more to the dream. Mai recalled the continued warnings she had received and how adamant he had been with her. Her guide didn't want her in the house…he didn't want her there at all. He said it was dangerous and that she could be next. Mai neglected to tell Naru that little tid-bit since there was really nothing that could be done even if he knew she had been warned. They were all in trouble, all in the same boat since they were all in the house just like the family. Any one of them could fall victim. Besides…she didn't want to leave and she was prepared, as much as she could be anyway, for any trouble that may befall her…

After some persuasion, Mai allowed herself to be dragged off to dinner by a rather annoyed looking Naru. The family had already finished eating by the time they arrived which left just the team to occupy the large dinning hall…which at that point Mai was more than thankful.

"How did the suggestion go?" Bou-san inquired trying to lighten the glooming mood once Mai returned. She was so jumpy and anxious. Even though she had returned to their side she was skittish to say the least. He didn't like it when she was not her usual cheerful self.

"Fine." Naru replied stiffly. "We will know tomorrow if anything comes of it."

"We finished our task as well." John chimed in. "It should help limit the options 'it' has…"

"Yep and we completed ours as well." The monk smirked deviously. "It should do the trick this time…since I was there to help!"

"You idiot!" Ayako glared darkly. "You didn't do anything! Not like I needed your help anyway!"

"What do we do if this does not work?" Masako calmly asked bringing the conversation back on track. "We know 'something' is here yet I still can't place it or even feel it most of the time…not even the faintest trace."

"We need to catch another person while they are possessed." The serious nature of the comment escaped no one. Naru knew that they needed to get some answers; they had already let two incidences go by without so much as a single question being answered. "We may be able to find out more if we have a person right in front of us."

"It's not that simple!" Mai blurted out unintentionally. She quickly covered her mouth and turned away…she wished she could take the words back but it was too late, she couldn't do anything about it now. The words had already been spoken and everyone was focused on her for an explanation. "Uh…no…I…that's not what I meant…" She tried to salvage her mistake but the way Naru was glaring at her told her that nothing would be able to fix it now.

"Explain." Naru voiced shortly what everyone was thinking.

The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife that much was sure but Mai continued to hesitate. She hated being under pressure and she didn't like all the eyes that were waiting on her every breath. "It's…it's just…if it was just a simple spirit or whatever, doing typical possessions as you like to think of them as, 'it' would have been exorcized by now." Mai tried to explain slowly but she wasn't sure if she was making any sense at all. "But, the exorcism didn't work, it was still there! Still moving on to other people…" Mai looked up trying to find the words she was looking for. There was no way she could put into words what she knew in heart; what she had seen in her head. It really was not that simple; if only everyone could see that.

"Until we figure out the nature of 'it' there's no way we can deal with it…"

"Mai-chan has a good point…" Bou-san glanced over in Naru's direction. The young man remained quiet but he could tell that the boy knew Mai was right. "Let's just hope tomorrow yields more information."

Naru stood from the table abruptly. "Go through the house and check the video and audio feeds one more time before we call it a night. If we have any luck, we should know more tomorrow."

Wasting no time, everyone split up to make the final round before heading off to bed but Mai used the opportunity to slink off to Naru's room. Her feet couldn't carry her fast enough to the room…

The sheets were cool but Mai quickly nested on the day bed and was thankful that Naru and Lin were not there so she could actually change into something suitable for sleep. She felt extremely uncomfortable and uneasy. She had been paranoid all day, but now it really felt bad…

Mai didn't know what to make of it. She decided she would try to learn more tomorrow and that for now she would try and sleep. She had been so tense all day she doubted she would have much of a problem. She nestled into the covers and hoped that she would start to feel better…

A short time later, Naru and Lin finally made it to the room only to find Mai sound asleep and seemingly well. Everything was found to be normal as well when the final round was completed and Naru could only hope that they would have some leads tomorrow.

They were starting to run out of options…

~Chapter 6 End~

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A/N: Ohhhh! Well, we are moving right along! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Next chapter is on time! GO ME!

* * *

Slight tinges of light roused Naru singling the coming morning of the third day they had been at the rustic manor. It was not yet dawn and Naru groaned at the ungodly time at which he had awoken. He didn't know why he had awoken so early but he wasn't ready to start the day quite just yet.

Careful not to make any noise, Naru settled back down into the bed shifting his position only slightly. He glanced over at the day bed and abruptly shot upright. Even with the minimal light filtering into the room, it was clear that Mai was missing from the bed and from the room. Had she gone to the bathroom?

Naru scanned the room again, slowly and critically, but Mai was nowhere to be found; he had never heard her leave…

"Mai is missing." The voice shattered the silence of the still room and Naru quickly dressed and made his way to the door. Even if she had merely gone to the bathroom, he couldn't swallow the unease that was building in his gut.

"Wait!" Lin quickly rose and followed suit. "I'll go with you." The situation was understandable but Lin knew what his top priority was. He knew that Naru cared for Mai, in his own way, and that he was concerned for her well being but at the moment there was something even more pressing. His top concern was to protect Naru from getting possessed.

It would be extremely dangerous for not only Naru but everyone else as well if he were. He was much too powerful for his own good, and on his own he was even more dangerous. Lin knew he needed to be vigilant and keep his guard up for the both of them…he couldn't afford to get possessed either.

Spirits, like animals, hungered for those that were inclined to them…especially those that were strong and posed a challenge…and Naru was certainly strong. He was guarded and in most cases was extremely difficult to possess but that didn't mean that spirits and the like didn't try. As young as he was, Naru was like the ultimate conquest…

It was obvious that something was not right but Naru didn't know where to start…he could see where she went, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to…he never knew what he might watch…

Making a quick decision, Naru did the next best thing and headed to the base room. He slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside followed closely by Lin. The room, much like the rest of the house, was dim and darkened with the coming morning. The large picture window flooded the room with ample light and Naru was relieved to see Mai standing there in just an oversized t-shirt looking out the window at the breaking dawn.

Naru's sentiments were short lived, however. Something was wrong…even though Mai's back was to them Naru could see well enough that something wasn't right. Mai's feet were weathered and dirty as well as her hands and arms. Her hair was laced with bits of debris and foliage clung throughout.

"Mai?" Naru called out and attempted to move forward but was quickly stopped by Lin. The older man shook his head wordlessly and approached the girl himself. The last thing he needed on his hands was an all out brawl between a possessed Mai and an insanely powerful Naru. Lin slowly and carefully rounded in front of Mai, he dared not touch her…

Naru anxiously awaited word from the entranceway of the room. He was not stupid, nor was he blind, he knew why Lin was doing what he was doing…it was the logical choice after all, but it didn't change the fact that Naru wanted to be there instead of him…

"Go get the others…" Lin commanded after a moment. Naru felt a jab of worry but quickly complied without word or delay. He trusted Lin and knew that he should listen to him without question especially given the situation. Even though he didn't like it, this could have been the break they had been waiting for.

"What is going on?" Ayako voiced sleepily after being summoned to the base room in a rush; the rest of the team arrived as well and joined her in the room only to find Mai already clearly possessed.

"What the hell happened!" Bou-san demanded after taking in Mai's appearance. She was still standing unmoving looking out the picture window, torn up flowers at her feet. Her eyes were deathly vacant and her skin was unusually pale. It was like looking at a breathing doll…

"We should wash her up! She's dirty and probably freezing!" Ayako stated with great concern. She, and the others, had no real idea what had happened but Naru had personally come and told them in a deathly serious voice that they all had to go to the base room. Mai had been outside that much was obvious. She was unresponsive and blank. Who knew how long she had been out doors not to mention she was wearing next to nothing; it was not healthy in the least.

"No." Naru retorted immediately. "We need her here like this." He was referring to the fact that they had finally cornered the spirit and it actually seemed like it was content not to leave.

"I can exorcise it…" John offered after a few minutes of silence. No one was doing anything and Mai was not going to get better any time soon if nothing was done.

"Wait…don't touch her…" Naru blocked the way with and outstretched arm. He knew that they could exorcise her at any time but he wanted to observe the spirit with his own eyes. They had finally cornered it on their side of the court and he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass by. At the sound of Naru's voice, Mai's blank eyes shifted to gaze in the boy's direction.

Naru stared, unmoving, directly back. "What are you?" he demanded calmly but Mai remained silent, seemingly inspecting him with empty eyes. "Is there something that you want?" Mai continued to stare blankly back, unchanging in any way.

It was like something was there yet at the same time, not. It was not quite like any possession Naru had ever seen. It was obviously a simple possession, yet at the same time it was not acting like he would have expected. Naru was about to ask another question but stopped as soon as he watched Mai's doll-like lips inch up into an eerie and sinister smirk. He didn't even have the chance to react before Mai's limp body crumbled to the floor with a noticeable thud.

"Find the rest of the family and see if it has moved onto any of them. Be aware that there may be more here than just this one. We have not ruled out anything yet!" Naru quickly commanded leaving Mai's body untouched.

The others rushed from the room and Naru slowly hunched down to get a better look at Mai. She didn't look too bad all things considered, but she didn't look well in the least either. She was dirty and cold but nothing a warm bath wouldn't fix. There would have been hell to pay if she had come back with any more damage than what she had…that much was for certain.

"What do you think?" Naru finally asked Lin calmly. He had not felt anything peculiar the entire time, even when Mai had fainted…

"I don't know…" Lin admitted truthfully. "This thing does not play by the rules…" He had not sensed a single thing either…

Suddenly and without warning, Mai's eyes popped open thoroughly startling both men despite the fact that they were both used to such occurrences. They didn't show it much but it didn't make it any less scary.

Mai's body slowly rose to a sitting position and much to their horror she was still without a doubt possessed. "What are you!" Naru demanded forcefully, much stronger than last time but still it elicited no response.

Morning had finally come and Naru could not help but notice that 'it' seemed to be focused on the large window at the back of the room…he feared that harm may come to Mai if the situation continued for much longer. He recalled what the family had testified to…

When possessed, the people would be found in strange places and sometimes with cuts and other injuries. Some had even become violent when confronted, which was why Naru did not want Mai to have any contact what so ever. The last thing he needed was for her…'it'…to feel threatened nor did he need 'it' to flee or transfer somewhere out of his reach again.

"All the family members are accounted for and all seem normal in personality and appearance." The team returned and reported their findings.

"I thought as much…" Naru dryly responded and took a step away. "It appears that the thing never left Mai to begin with like we had originally thought."

"She's still possessed!" Bou-san looked over and sadly confirmed it to be so. "What the hell is going on? I didn't think that they stayed possessed for long, and who knows how long she has been like this."

"What are we going to do?" Masako asked quietly. "It still won't talk to us…"

"What other options do we have besides expelling it?" Ayako voiced the obvious. It was not like there was a lot that could be done once someone had already been possessed. Maybe it really had been cornered and they could finally put an end to the whole case?

"We'll-"

Mai suddenly made a break for it directly toward the large picture window. Without much thought, Naru grabbed her away and pulled her to the ground. True to his thought, Mai immediately started to struggle against his touch and fight off his hold. He straddled her, holding her firmly to the floor.

Mai tried to make noise as she battled her assailant but no words found their way out. Naru quickly pinned her flailing arms over her head and used his body to keep her from thrashing. "John!"

"Got it!"

Naru had wanted to get more information from the incident since he thought getting someone possessed right in front of them would possibly lead to some answers but he couldn't risk Mai's safety or their own…not to mention that it was fairly clear that 'it' was not talking…

John skillfully exorcized Mai and a soft scream escaped her lips before she fell limp on the floor. Besides the sound of her breathing, it had been the first noise she had made during the entire ordeal. No matter how hard they pushed, Mai had remained annoyingly silent…

"Check the house again and the family…" Naru looked down at Mai with an unreadable expression. "It's safe to assume that like with the previous attempts, the spirit is not gone…but has probably simply moved on to the next host."

Mai remained unconscious on the floor as the rest of the team vacated the room leaving Lin and Naru alone with the unmoving girl. It was not the first time Mai had been possessed but for some reason Naru was unusually bothered by it. It didn't seem like any great harm had come to her but he still felt uneasy. Naru was annoyed to no end that they had yet to solve the case; the case was supposed to be simple but it was turning out to be anything but.

Naru could only hope that something would change so that they would at least have something to go on…

~Chapter 7 End~

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A/N: Well, we all probably saw that coming but I hope it is still interesting! Please review and keep me posted on your thoughts! Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Had a busy weekend so this is a bit late! Sorry!

* * *

"This case is starting to frustrate me…" Bou-san lazily commented as they made their way down the elaborate hallway. He felt fortunate to be part of such an amazing team but he hated it when he was helpless to protect those that he cared about. He hated being powerless against the unknown.

"I know what you mean…" Ayako actually agreed with the monk for once. She felt exactly as he did. She really didn't like the way things were heading…especially since they were now all concerned since Mai had been targeted.

"Are you sure you didn't feel anything when Mai was possessed?" Bou-san directed the question to the medium at his side. Masako had remained silent since she had left the room. Everyone paused momentarily awaiting her answer.

"I really didn't. It is very strange…it is like nothing is there yet it clearly is." Masako admitted softly. She was not even sure if she had sensed anything when Mai was exorcized. Last time she had thought she had felt something briefly, even if it was very faint…but this time she would not be so sure at all. Her senses were all messed up.

"It is indeed strange." John agreed. Thay had certainly seen stranger but the way things were fitting together just made no sense what so ever. It was very odd to say the least.

"Very…" They all were in agreement on that fact at least.

"Ah!" They walked into one of the family members by chance in the corridor. "I was just going to look for you!"

"What is it?" Bou-san quickly asked noting the look of frantic on the woman's face.

"Come this way!"

Bou-san and the others followed the woman swiftly only to find the brother's wife to be just as Mai had been. She was vacant…like a doll. "How long has she been like this?" John asked immediately. He had just exorcized Mai moments before. It was not common for a spirit to possess someone so soon…

"It just happened!"

"Follow us and bring her to the base." Bou-san decided what everyone already knew was the correct choice in action. He, the rest of the team, and the family members that were present all made their way to the base room without delay. Upon their arrival, Mai was still unconscious but Naru, no doubt, had placed her on the couch, his suit coat covered her like a blanket especially for her.

"Is this consistent with precious incidents…this behavior we are seeing?" Naru inquired to the family members that had congregated in the base room. He looked over the woman briefly as he awaited their answer. She certainly appeared to be as Mai had been; blank and unresponsive.

"Yes, it is." The brother voiced slowly. "They will wander aimlessly like this or do mundane tasks…or even just sit and do nothing at all. Sometime later they will simply collapse or be found unconscious somewhere…and then it happens all over again."

"How soon does it repeat?" Naru continued to inspect the woman with a critical eye. "Is it immediate?"

"No, no…" The man looked off in thought. "Several hours at least if not until the next day."

Naru had wanted more time but unfortunately, yet again, his time was cut short. The 'spirit' didn't remain long and the woman collapsed unconscious without revealing anything. Even if they had the real thing right in front of them they had yet to get any answers or even so much as a hunch. The spirit was as illusive as ever and despite their best efforts it eluded them at every turn.

It seemed like they were inundated with problems namely the fact that it didn't seem like the 'spirit' wanted to communicate. Communication was the best way for them to figure out important information and data yet that was the one thing the spirit appeared to refuse to do. For some reason 'it' refused to move on and needed to jump from one person to the next as if it had ever right to do so but why wouldn't it say what it wanted?

Mai awoke by late afternoon when the setting sun's rays were illuminating the base room. "What happened?" She asked softly holding her head with a shaky hand as she tried to rise to a sitting position. She felt as if something was out of place but she quickly disregarded it. She had probably been possessed or something…

"You were possessed." Naru answered from near the monitors in a matter of fact tone. She had been right, go figure. "Do you remember anything from this morning until now?"

Mai shook her head in the negative. She really couldn't remember anything. It almost felt as if that time has not occurred at all…it was merely blank…

~x~

They had been at the western-styled mansion for three days and in such time they had witnessed four possessions. Based on the data collected, the consistent tendencies, and the results of their research and tests…Naru believed he was finally ready to formulate some kind of plan. The negative result for the hypnotic suggestion test ruled out human influence at least. The 'spirit' had shown repeatedly that it would not simply be exorcized or purified by normal means.

The spirit had still remained even after Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san had preformed a general ritual. Also, the fact still remained that Hara-san, the only real medium of the group, felt nothing most of the time even if 'it' was directly in front of her. "We need to trap this thing…" Naru voiced to everyone as they were sitting in the base room.

"Didn't we already try that?" Bou-san looked confused albeit a bit skeptical. "We limited the paths it could take…narrowed down its options."

"There is a very low probability that our efforts have been direct enough." Naru explained in a serious tone. "Even with the rituals and the blessings, it has bypassed us and continued its activity."

"That's true…" John sighed. No one could deny that the incidents had not subsided in the least.

"We need to attempt to directly purify 'it' rather than making it move on from such a general and large scale scope effort." Naru flipped through the papers he was holding calmly.

Mai didn't know why but she felt unusually tense. Would something like that normally work? Would the same old tricks really make 'it' go away as long as they were more direct in their actions? Mai was not so sure…

"And just how do you suggest we go about such a plan?" It sounded like a reasonable idea to Bou-san, but he was unsure how it would actually come to fruition.

"I suggest that we bait it…like an animal to a trap." Naru proposed. "Lin can make us something that can serve as bait; something we can attack unlike a real host."

"That's fine, but how do we 'make' it take the bait and not just return to the family members or one of us?" Ayako asked doubtfully. The thought itself was valid but only in theory. Thus far they all knew the 'thing' was not playing fair and actions that normally yielded results were easily evaded. Could they really make it take the bait and keep it their long enough for it to eradicated?

"I need you to make some wards and charms for everyone in this house to hopefully give the spirit no choice but to go for the unprotected and unguarded bait." The reasoning was sound…but again, would it really work out that easy?

"But we did that already!" Bou-san cut in before Ayako had the chance to say the exact same words. "How do you expect it to work this time?"

"The previous attempts at blessing and purifying did not work but my hypothesis is that the efforts have not been direct enough. The wards would be in direct contact with the person and therefore should be more effective…at least that is what we want to see. It is worth a try anyway." Naru acknowledged everyone. He would need every one of them and their full cooperation if he wanted his plan to even have a chance of success.

"I can do that." Ayako voiced after a moment. She seemed more determined than before and probably more than she had ever been since they had gotten there. If it was Shinto charms then she was surely going to do well; it was her forte after all.

Naru noticed that Mai was in a sort of daze. She was quiet and uninvolved during the entire discussion which was completely unlike her and she seemed even more isolated since they had started to finalize and formulate the plan. He was worried to say the least but he also knew that he didn't have time to deal with it due to the preparations at hand.

In all likeliness, it was probably just lingering aftereffects of her being possessed. She was probably confused about the time she had lost and true to her character she was probably thinking much too much about the whole thing. It was so like her to brood like an idiot over things that she shouldn't even be bothered with. But that was just Mai…always thoughtful and always the emotional one. Mai would have plenty of time to recover once they solved the case and could return home; the earlier…the better…

~Chapter 8 End~

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A/N: Ohhh, another chapter down! So happy! Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry, it's a short one this week!

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Early evening rolled in with the dimming skies and the soft hues of dusk and the team was finally ready to try their plan.

"We don't have a backup plan if this fails you know." Bou-san pointed out with obvious doubt in his voice that their efforts would work.

"Then we will just start over and come up with a new plan once we assess the data gathered after this attempt." Naru answered full of confidence. He was never one to doubt his own hypothesis and there was no reason for him to doubt now. He wanted to solve the case as much as everyone else did but he also understood that not everything went according to plan…

"Matsuzaki-san…"

They were ready to start…as ready as they were ever going to be anyway. Everyone was accounted for along with the family members, present with their charms of course, watched as the miko called forth the spirits of the house with seemingly little effort. The ritual lasted for only a moment and they had always assumed that there was only one spirit to contend with since they had never witnessed or heard accounts of more than one person being possessed at a time, but they never ruled out the possibility.

They had to make sure…

Lin stood protectively before Naru and Mai while the miko, priest, and the monk were all prepared to purify or exorcise whatever came their way. If the ritual had been successful and did what it was supposed to do, then…

Masako suddenly gasped, drawing in a sharp intake of air. "It's here!" She could feel it, actually feel a presence for a split second but that was all the warning they needed. 'The spirit' took the bait conveniently made and set up by Lin and to some extent materialized as it tried its best to possess the effigy; it was inescapably caught.

Naru took note of the appearance of 'the thing'…it was not what he would normally associate with that of a spirit. It was simply an aura…a wisp of sorts…like materialized energy lacking any cohesive form. It was common knowledge that spirits and the like could change form and could be found as just manifestations of light or energy…but Naru still found it rather odd.

Suddenly the chants and prayers from John, Ayako, and Bou-san visually quite expressly broke the wisp apart into a kaleidoscope of light. The lights slowly rose upward, like white embers from a fire, clearly purified.

"It's gone! You did it!" The family was relived and overjoyed at the same time. They had been able to see with their own eyes the thing that had tormented them disappear into nothingness. The feeling of relief was overwhelming.

"We will stay here until tomorrow to make sure that what we have done was really successful and that the case has really been solved." Naru explained politely and the family readily agreed. Previously, the 'spirit' has never gone more than 12 hours without incident. They would certainly know by tomorrow if it was really and truly gone or not…

Naru knew better than to jump to conclusions, but it had appeared at least that everything had been successful…allowing himself to relax for a moment couldn't be that bad…

~x~

They had a late dinner and the girls soon left the room to quickly shower before bed. Everything had been so sporadic and hectic that they really didn't have time to think of such necessary things. It was nice to finally slow down…

"I'm concerned with how Mai has been behaving since she woke up…" Bou-san expressed once the room had been cleared of females.

"I've noticed it too…" John looked up from his cup. "What do you think is wrong?"

"She is quiet, subdued, and not her usual loud, emotional, active, and enthusiastic self…" Bou-san trailed off. He knew something was off but was it something to worry about or was it just fatigue from the case and the events that had transpired?

"I know." Naru sighed inwardly. "I took note of it too." He had no reason to put it off now. He was going to find out what was wrong one way or the other even if he had to use force. He hated not knowing.

He would find out…

"Mai." Naru addressed as soon as everyone was present in the base room. Mai flinched even though she had an inkling that it was to come. She knew that she couldn't get anything passed Naru…no matter how minute. She didn't like that tone of voice; it was his displeased and none too happy tone and Naru was not one that you wanted to deal with when he was discontented.

"Y-yes?" Mai responded meekly and much less than enthusiastic. What has she done now? She couldn't recall anything…but that didn't mean she wasn't guilty of something at least in Naru's opinion.

"Are you okay?" He voiced in that same stubborn tone as before but his eyes told a different story; they reflected concern. Mai blinked, taken aback but the unexpected question. Looking around, it seemed everyone was worried about her…surprisingly so.

"Ah…" She quickly brought a hand to her face trying to cover her expression. "I'm fine!" Mai assured everyone with a smile. She had no idea they had actually been worried for her…it has been awhile since she had other people to care about her…

"You don't seem fine." Naru quickly and bluntly pointed out without mercy. He was a man of his word and he would get to the bottom of this. Mai scowled. Leave it to Naru to point out the obvious and what she least wanted to be pointed out.

"I'm just a bit tired!" I'm sure I will be as good as new and back to my normal self after a good night's sleep…" Mai raised her hands in defense but took a step to the side as Masako reached over and smacked her on the side of the head.

"I don't feel anything…you are probably fine." The medium remarked notably irrigated. Mai glared and was inches away from a fight, but Ayako placed a palm on her forehead before she could make a move.

"No fever either…just go get some rest and let us know if you feel bad anywhere. Make sure to let us know how you are feeling tomorrow." Ayako voiced forcefully, her hands firmly on her hips.

Mai smiled warmly, "I will, don't worry. I am sure after some sleep I will be as good as new."

The night was clear and calm and Mai could only hope that is would be the same for her; no matter how much she told herself she was fine…she couldn't calm down. Something still felt wrong but what was it? She was glad that the team soon broke up and returned to their rooms. They had all had a long and exhausting day and were more than ready for bed. Hopefully tomorrow would be peaceful and uneventful…

~Chapter 9 End~


	10. Chapter 10

Sinking, uneasiness awoke Mai from a restless slumber. She looked around hesitantly only to find that she had only aoken to her dream world and was in fact at the steps of the house just like she had been on the day they had arrived to the manor. The house seemed normal, just as it was before…

Mai tentatively reached for the door and softly pushed it open…there was no warning, no one to stop her…she slowly stepped inside, cautious of her surroundings as she went. There was no shock, no prickly feeling like she had felt before.

"This must mean that it really is okay…that 'thing' is really gone…" She surmised to herself more than anything. The scenery abruptly changed and Mai had to might the feeling of motion sickness. What awaited her was neutral, empty space.

"…Something wrong?" Mai whipped around to face her Naru-looking dream guide smiling at her as if he had every right.

"I didn't feel anything when I was in the house…" Mai strangely felt like she was relaying the information to herself. "I'm glad that thing is gone, it didn't look like the family was going to be able to take much more." Mai smiled and in return received one back.

"That is good." He replied kindly, his expression hardly changing a bit.

It felt weird being in her dream world and not actually dreaming anything Mai concluded. It seemed that the case had been solved and she had already learned what she had probably come to find out…so why was she still there?

Mai looked around curiously. "Why am I still here?" She finally questioned not being able to handle the silence.

"Hrm?" Her guide turned to look at her.

"Is there more to see?" Mai asked tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Good question, but you should probably just wake up." He suggested with a deceptive smile.

"Uh?" Mai blinked and gave a confused look. She hated not being able to read the man standing before her. She wanted to know what was going on and she wanted to know why she was wasting, or seemingly wasting, her time in this neutral space with the will-o-wisps.

"Close your eyes…" he smiled gently, an expression different from the rest; Mai couldn't help but comply. "…and wake up…"

Fading to nothing, Mai remember hearing an ebbing voice before she opened her eyes to the room she shared with Naru and Lin. It seemed, which a quick glance around the room confirmed, that they were already up and about. Mai quickly readied for the day and dashed off toward the base.

She felt refreshed and energized, much like she thought she'd be. Mai may not have been the brightest candle but at least she was skilled in recovery time. There wasn't much out there that could keep her down for long.

Instantly brightening the atmosphere, Mai burst into the base room with much more circumstance than necessary. Like usual, everyone had already made their way to the base for morning tea, coffee, and food.

"You seem to be feeling better Mai!" Bou-san commented over his coffee cup. "How are you feeling?"

"Yep, much better, thank you!" Mai smiled brightly and secured herself a cup of tea and a muffin before she joined everyone at the table. "All I needed was a good rest!"

Maybe if she had been paying more attention she would have noticed that Naru had been watching her since the moment she had stepped into the room; he looked relieved, though Lin was probably the only one who could tell.

"We found no evidence on the tapes or audio that anything out of the ordinary happened overnight." Naru reported as he joined the table. "Let's finish up checking with the family and a final examination of the house as early as possible. If everything is normal, we should leave."

Everyone readily agreed and Mai ran off to join Bou-san and the others in their final run through. After interviewing the family and double checking the manor and the grounds, it seemed as thought the case had indeed been solved. Every person in the house was present and accounted for and all normal. They all reported feeling better and they seemed as though they were on the road to recovery.

Mai felt better too. She didn't feel anything from the house or the family and she no longer felt scared or paranoid for no reason. She felt happy and ready to face the day…it was a wonderful feeling compared to the way she had felt before.

The others all seemed to come to the same conclusions and returned to the base to report their findings. "All seems normal. I'd say this case is solved!" Bou-san voiced with great enthusiasm.

Naru quickly leafed through the results. He couldn't find any reason as to why they should, or need to, stay any longer. "Pack the equipment and gather you bags. It would appear that there is no reason for delay."

~x~

Loading went surprisingly quick. Usually everyone was not as efficient as they could be, but Mai figured everyone was just as eager as she to get home. The weather was beautiful and the day was young; even more reason for everyone wanting to get home.

Ayako made sure to leave some charms behind just in case. She reminded the family to call them back immediately if anything started to happen again. Ayako also took note that Mai had clearly returned to her cheerful, upbeat self again much to everyone's relief…even to those who didn't show it.

Mai finished packing her things relatively fast and quickly loaded her bag into the van along with the rest of the boxes she was responsible for. Naru always told her that he didn't trust her moving the expensive equipment into the van given her track record, but Mai liked to think that it was just an excuse to leave all the light boxes for her to load.

It was only early afternoon so they would be home by evening, which pleased Mai greatly. She wasn't homesick per say, but she missed sleeping in her own bed and in her own apartment. She wanted to go back to school and see her friends; it felt like it had been such a long time.

Mai turned to see if there was anything else she could load into the back of the open van, her breath caught sharply, a quick gasp escaped her lips, her face etched with the expression of shock. She staggered, her hands thrown out to her sides in panic before she finally crashed to her knees by the passenger side of the van. She was breathing heavily but remained unmoving.

Lin, Bou-san, and John emerged from the house carrying the last of the equipment and luggage from the house to see Mai on the ground. "Mai!" Bou-san rushed forward in concern. "What's wrong!"

Laughing awkwardly, Mai shook her head lightly. "I'm okay; I just tripped…" Mai explained with a strained smile on her face. "Though I feel pretty stupid for being able to trip over a flat surface…"

"Mai…you, you brat!"

Mai laughed more though she couldn't hide the awkwardness of it. "Uh, I think I scraped up my knee though…can you help me into the van?" Mai asked innocently. By the feel of it, she was sure it was bleeding.

"Of course!" Bou-san grabbed her arm, as did John, and hoisted her to her feet and up into the passenger seat of the van. Lin quickly packed up the last remaining boxes and joined the two men to await the rest of their party.

In no time at all, Naru emerged from the house after wrapping things up in the house with Ayako and Masako only to find Mai bleeding from her knee. "What did you do!" Ayako asked as she rushed over, quickly examining the wound.

"I tripped and feel when I turned to see if there were anymore boxes to load…" Mai answered with obvious embarrassment.

Ayako sighed, "Let me grab you a band-aid." Mai smiled in thanks as the miko sought out her purse in the other car.

"There must have been real skill involved in order for you to trip over nothing…" Naru remarked snidely. Mai flushed with anger and started to rant at him about something but Naru didn't pay attention in the slightest. Something was off…something that he just couldn't place…

Ayako returned and a little too enthusiastically slapped a band-aid on Mai's scraped knee after cleaning it off. The older woman laughed as Mai's obvious reaction of pain, "Come on Mai! It's not that bad!"

"Ow…" Mai pouted. Even if it was just a small injury didn't mean that it didn't still hurt. She hated little, shallow cuts the most. They seemed to sting and throb more that anything.

Thankfully, both cars departed soon after. Bou-san's car was not hauling any equipment, so he decided to just take the occupants of his car straight to their respective homes rather than stopping at the office first, like Naru and Lin were going to. Mai sighed. Once they got back in town, they still had to unload all of the equipment back at the office before she could go home…not to mention they would be on their own for the unloading.

How in the world would she make it through that? Mai was worried…to say the least.

The long ride was annoyingly uneventful. Even Naru was starting to get restless. The material he had been reading was no longer holding his attention as it should. Naru was surprised to see that Mai was just spacing out rather than sleeping. Usually as soon as she became bored she would keel over and sleep…regardless if she was actually tired or not. It was unlikely that she was not tired…not with all that had happened.

Was there a reason she didn't want to sleep?

"Here." Naru startled Mai with his voice but offered her a book to read none the less. If she was going to stay awake, she might as well do something productive. "You should read this. It might make you less of an idiot…'if' you can understand it."

Mai glared angrily and made a disgusted noise in his direction but said nothing. The response was good enough for Naru and he went back to reading his own book now that he was satisfied with his action. He knew that messing with Mai was the right decision…it always seemed to raise his spirits no matter what the situation was.

By the time they had arrived in town, Naru noticed that Mai had not done a thing with the open book he had placed in her lap. Naru observed longer and confirmed that Mai was not reading, or even looking, at the book. She was just staring blankly out the window at the passing images before her as if in a daze. Even though it was not unusual for Mai to lose interest or not pay attention, but somehow Naru still found it rather odd.

The road noise and sounds from traffic drew Naru's attention away from his previous thoughts and succeeded in catching Mai's attention as well. It was clear they were getting closer to the office and to their respective homes. Mai personally couldn't wait for the time to come for her to be able to get out of the van and back to her house…then, and only then, would she be able to think clearly and without worry. She had plenty to worry about…

Suddenly and without warning, Mai slammed to the right as Lin quickly swerved to avoid a reckless moped. "I apologize…" Lin voiced in his normal monotone for the almost near-collision.

"Don't worry about it; it's not worth it given the unavoidable nature of that driver. I'm just glad you avoided it." Naru assured.

Lin nodded his head in agreement. They had much too much precious cargo to risk being in an accident. Naru returned his attention to Mai and was about to ask her if she was unharmed when his eyes went wide with realization.

It finally clicked what had been bothering him since they had left the manor…Mai's lack of reaction to the near collision could only mean…

"Look at me, Mai."

Naru kept his tone low and his voice steady. Mai immediately snapped her head to the side but as soon as she did Naru's suspicions were confirmed; she wasn't looking at him…

"Head to the nearest hospital." Naru ordered Lin without a moments waste in the same tone as before.

"No wait! It's not necessary!" Mai grabbed for Naru's arm but missed. She knew she should have ignored his request, but it was like a conditioned response when he used 'that' tone of voice. It was like she couldn't help but respond to it…

"It is, and we are going to the hospital whether you agree or not." Naru spoke sternly, ending the matter with no further argument. He was less than pleased and in no mood to argue, and made that fact painfully clear. He could hardly believe that he had missed something that now seemed so obvious. Why couldn't she have just told him she was in need of assistance? Why couldn't she ask him for help?

Lin wordlessly complied and pulled into the nearest hospital which thankfully was not too far since they had already arrived within the city. He dared not ask, not after hearing Naru's tone…but he could relate. He may not show it, but he was irritated to say the least. It was frustrating that the girl he had finally come to terms with continued to keep them all at a distance. Did she not think of them in the same light that they thought of her in?

"Don't…insurance card…" Mai mumbled as Naru pulled her along by the hand into the hospital. As angry as he seemed, he was still gentle in his way of guiding her into the space.

"Its fine, we'll cover it." Mai could tell from Naru's voice that he was anything but pleased…far from it in fact.

"Why didn't you say anything?" The question Mai had been hoping to avoid was finally asked while they waited to be seen in an exam room…though Mai could not help but feel at ease; Naru's grip never loosened on her hand.

"I…I didn't think…it was that important…" Mai mumbled softly. "…didn't want to bother you…" she trailed off, barely above a whisper. She knew she was trying to fight a loosing battle, but that was how she really felt. She had never been one to rely on anyone other than herself…ever since…

"You can't see!" Naru burst out angrily. How could she not come to someone about such a thing? Did she just think she would be fine on her own? For some reason that fact irritated him a lot more than he thought it would. It sure made Naru seriously question Mai's intelligence a little more deeply…

~Chapter 10 End~

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A/N: Reviews welcomed! Hope everyone enjoyed reading ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

"I don't detect any external damage or trauma that would cause blindness…" An older doctor examined Mai's eyes carefully. "What occurred before you lost your sight?"

"I tripped and fell…" Mai explained rather flatly…though it was only a half truth. It was one of those things that no matter how hard she tried to explain, a man of reason and status such as the old doctor would never come to understand or even fathom. It would only be a waste of time and money, neither of which Mai wished to waste. Naru remained silent but he suspected that there was more to it than what Mai had offered forth. He for one was neither blind nor dumb…

"Based on the tests and what I can see…you most likely have a pinched optic nerve that is preventing signals received from the eye from traveling to the brain therefore rendering you unable to see." The doctor jotted down some notes before continuing. "This can happen if the head is hit just right regardless of force, though it is fairly uncommon. It will get better with time; the body will automatically try to heal itself but special care will need to be taken until it heals. There is no way of knowing when that will be…but please be careful; avoid any further trauma or falls."

"Thank you doctor…" Mai sighed. She was sure Naru had understood everything even though he was quiet almost the entire time until the end when he made arrangements for a check-up and instructions on care and prognosis. He looked professional, but if Mai could have seen it she would have been able to tell that his eyes were not pleased.

Mai basically thought of it like a kinked straw or hose; even though water was flowing through…it was not coming out the other side. As much as she wanted to believe what the doctor had said about her body healing on its own…she just couldn't. She knew better.

~x~

Naru pulled Mai along from the room to meet with Lin in the lobby and quickly explained the situation. Mai registered that he was talking but her mind was somewhere else completely. "We're going home." Naru suddenly announced and Mai found herself being briskly pulled back to the parked van. He gently helped her into her seat causing Mai to blush. She really didn't think Naru would be so gentle or that he even had it in him especially since he was so mad with her in the first place…but it was very welcomed particularly since everything else seemed so cold. "We can go to the office tomorrow, so for tonight let's just head home." Naru voiced to Lin and he readily agreed.

"Wait! Home…where are we going?" Mai stated uneasily. It really was inconvenient not being able to see, not to mention horrifying. She didn't want to bother anyone yet she was terribly bothered by her self and her own thoughts on the matter. Hypocrite was the only thing that came to mind, and at the moment she sure was the very epitome of one.

"My home, it's not like you can be left to yourself anyway." Naru stated matter of fact. If she thought any different then he really was going to have to start to seriously doubt her state of mind. Maybe she had hit her head when she fell? That would explain a lot since he was having a hard time understanding her irrational behavior. It really was a mystery to him.

"But…my things…"

"You still have your bag you brought with you to the case, we can just wash it contents. Besides, it's late and you don't really need anything…do you?"

Hesitating…"No…" Mai finally answered under the pressure. She'd rather die than admit that she was scared out of her mind and that she wanted to curl up in a corner and cry. It was like a bad dream that she couldn't wake up from. She never knew it could be so scary not being able to see. Mai wanted for it all to be a dream so badly so that she could just wake up…

But it wasn't a dream and it wasn't the worst…

~x~

"Get Mai-san inside and settled; I will take care of the luggage and the other things that need to be brought in." Lin said as they pulled into the driveway.

"Come Mai." Naru complied and took Mai's hand to lead her into his house. Once again Mai was surprised to find that such a simple task like walking could be so hard when the option of sight was lacking. Mai couldn't seem to find her feet, let alone place them in the correct location to move forward. She was unsteady and unsure…an odd feeling to say the least.

Having impeccable professionalism and patience was something Naru prided himself on greatly, but at that moment his patience wore thin with the almost painful to watch antics that were playing before him. Thankfully for Mai she missed the look of annoyance Naru had plastered on his face as he easily hoisted her into his arms and carried her into the house and to his room.

He had yet to completely consider the full extent of how difficult it would be without the ability to see. While trying to lead Mai into the house, she had a hard time walking since she was unsure of her footing, not to mention her balance and equilibrium were all off as well…

"Naru?" Mai clenched her fingers on the bed cover restlessly. She knew Naru was quiet and quite good at masking his presence, but she didn't like not being able to tell if he was there or not. She would have to work on picking up sounds and detecting things by that alone. It was faint, but Mai could finally pick up the soft sound of Naru's breathing…even and ever so steady.

"I'm here…" He spoke evenly. He was thankful Mai could not see his perplexed expression since it was something he was even surprised at himself for showing such a face. He didn't know why, but he was out of his element with the situation and he didn't quite know how to handle it. "I'm going to help Lin…just stay here a moment."

With a quick turn and several swift steps, Naru left the room quickly leaving Mai alone. She had tried to call out for him to wait, but it was already too late…Naru was already gone and she could no longer hear his foot steps echo from the hallway. Mai fidgeted…it had only been awhile…a short while…but she could not help but feel restless. She couldn't stay still and finally made the decision to move. She couldn't take sitting there in the darkened silence any longer. Mai didn't feel comfortable in the unfamiliar environment. The smell was different…the atmosphere was different…everything was different even if she couldn't see it. She just couldn't take it anymore…it couldn't possibly be that hard to move…

Mai pushed herself from the bed and tried to walk tentatively forward. She immediately stumbled and crashed directly into a wall; a very solid wall. She was very thankful that there was not much furniture in the room or else she may have seriously hurt herself and Naru's décor. Feeling around, Mai touched the door frame of the room and slowly made her way down the hall keeping both hands on the wall for support.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mai heard Lin speak softly. "I can call Matsuzaki-san or Takigawa-san…I am sure they would be more than willing to help…"

Frozen to the spot, Mai halted where she stood. She couldn't tell if she was hidden but she didn't want to risk hitting into anything by running away.

"No…" Naru's reply floated smoothly through the air. "It's fine if she stays here."

"…Alright…" Lin sighed. "I will help as much as I can, but don't complain when things get rough…"

Lin knew that Naru wanted to take care of and protect Mai, but he was sure the teen had no idea what he was getting himself into. Naru probably hadn't thought it through what care would need to be given to someone that had suddenly lost their sight completely. Not to mention, Mai was clearly of the opposite gender which regardless of Naru's know-how and brains, he didn't know much about…not anything practical anyway.

Surprised, Naru looked up, "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough…" Lin assured with a sigh. Naru was smart, professional, and quick…but he was still young and still much too inexperienced. Lin was sure that he lacked any concept of the workings of the opposite sex. Naru was in for quite the crash course on female nature and daily needs. If nothing else it was going to be amusing to see how that younger teen would deal with it all.

Mai was not sure how, but she managed to turn around and trace her path back to the room from which she had been placed in upon arrival. She flopped on the bed with a soft, exasperated, sigh. She wasn't sure if she should feel happy or depressed by what she had overheard. It was clear that she was going to be a bother, she was practically helpless after all and she knew how much Naru avoided troublesome things….but she was terribly happy all the same that he had stuck up for her and said she could stay.

He didn't have to…it wasn't Naru's responsibility…

Mai hated to have to reply on anyone other than herself but this time it couldn't be helped with the circumstances as they were. She had gone though a lot in her sort life, sure not as extreme as others, but not smooth sailing either. She knew how to handle things on her own. She knew she could probably get assistance elsewhere….and probably would only need it for a short time if things went as planned. There were so many other possibilities and options. Mai was sure she would get used to it sooner or later and once she learned her surroundings she could probably be fairly self sufficient.

…but Mai was overjoyed that she wouldn't have to think of any of that…she was beyond herself that Naru would help her and care for her…

Right then and there, Mai resolved to herself that she would do everything she could to be as little trouble as possible while she was in Naru's care. If she knew anything about her boss, she knew that he hated to be troubled and bothered with useless things that were not worth his while. He was eccentric like that and she really did dislike being a burden. There were no pity pleas from her end. Mai could only hope that whatever it was that was ailing her would be resolved quickly so that she could go home…but Mai also thought that since she was there anyway, she might as well enjoy it…especially the time she could spend with the illusive Naru.

That thought alone almost made it worth it…

Footsteps echoed softly from the hall and Mai was startled from her thoughts by Naru's timely return. "It was not my intension to take so long…" the young man voiced quickly upon his arrival. Mai was slightly surprised by the fact that her unapologetic boss had actually offered somewhat of an apology of sorts for his actions. It was hardly a 'sorry' but it was something.

"It's fine!" Mai replied cheerfully, albeit a bit forced. She rather not let on that she had been eavesdropping on his conversation that had just been taking place. It was somewhat embarrassing enough as it was, and she didn't want to face any punishment Naru may have deemed appropriate for her actions.

"You should get ready to go to sleep." Naru spoke as if he were still in the office; still in boss mode as Mai liked to think of it. It really took a lot for her not to laugh but she was able to hold it in and managed to hide it well. "We have all had a long day…"

Mai could only stare in his direction blankly and Naru looked right back with an equally unknowing look. "Oh right…" Naru finally seemed to realize something. "What do you sleep in? I'll get it from your bag…" he trailed off, deep in thought.

"There's an oversized T-shirt in there somewhere…that would be fine." Mai replied softly. She wasn't too fond of the idea that Naru would be rummaging through her bag, but it really couldn't be helped.

Wordlessly, Naru left and returned quickly with the shirt in question. He probably could have just let her barrow an article of his clothing rather than digging through Mai's bag, but she would probably be more comfortable wearing something that she was familiar with. "Here." He placed the shirt in her awaiting hands gently and turned to leave. In most cases, that would have been that and he wouldn't have given it another thought but Naru was not so fortunate. He tried to ignore the sounds of struggle coming from behind him but he just couldn't…

"Stop moving." Naru quickly stopped Mai's flailing and pulled her skirt down and her shirt off with amazing speed and skill. He swiftly pulled the T-shirt over her head and pulled her arms through the sleeves. With equal proficiency, he folded up the clothes he had discarded moments before on the floor and once again turned to leave.

Blushing a shade of red that was not even listed on the color wheel, Mai was beyond embarrassed. For once, Naru was extremely thankful that Mai couldn't see him in return…she would never let him live it down if she had.

"Can you…" Mai voiced meekly as Naru was trying to leave the room, "show me the bathroom before you go?"

The bathroom…of course, there was that too. Naru mentally hit himself for his lack of thoughtfulness. He really had not thought everything through as well as he probably should have. "Here." He offered Mai his hand and helped her to her feet and slowly began to walk her down the hall toward the bathroom. Mai still walked funny, but it helped when he allowed her to follow the wall with her other hand. As much as he thought he knew, Naru resolved that he would research the blind next chance he had. Maybe he would be able to get some pointers on care and consideration to be taken when someone was unable to see.

Lin was sitting quietly in the living room when Naru walked passed with Mai in tow. Lin smiled but Naru ignored him and got Mai to the bathroom as quickly as possible. He was not one to dally and he certainly did not want Lin's inner ridicule to taunt him any more than need be. "We're here…" Naru voiced as he let her hand feel the doorway of the space. He calmly, albeit a bit awkwardly, showed her were everything was located by guiding her hand to touch the various things within the space. "Got it? Do you think you'll be okay?" Naru asked tentatively.

"I got it…" Mai said confidently as she touched the sink counter while she stood unassisted. It was like being at in her own bathroom at night when she was too lazy to turn on the lights. Except this was not her bathroom, not her house, and she couldn't just turn on the lights even if she dearly wished it were that simple. But things were not that simple and she was going to have to get used to it one way or the other. Maybe if it was her bathroom she would be better off…but it was Naru's bathroom…a small blush crept across her features.

"Okay, I will wait in the living room." Naru spoke as he left, "Call for me when you are ready to go back." He closed the door behind him and entered the living room. Lin gave him a knowing smirk but Naru ignored it and wordlessly reclined on the arm rest of his couch, his hand firmly in place on his forehead.

In no time, Mai finished in the bathroom; she was rather surprised at how well she was able to navigate everything given the utter newness of the surroundings, but it really wasn't that difficult. The space was smaller and she had a pretty good mental image of the bathroom's layout. She quietly opened the door and attempted to make it back on her own. It couldn't be that hard. She pretty much remembered the path they had taken and she had the wall to follow…what could go wrong?

Mai stumbled when the wall she had been following suddenly and abruptly ended. She tried to catch herself but lost her balance in doing so; Mai just knew she was going to fall…it was all but inevitable.

"Why didn't you call for me!" Naru caught her not a moment too soon. "Idiot...the last thing you need is another hit to the head; you need all the brain cells you can get…"

Mai scoffed and balanced herself against Naru. "I thought I could make it back on my own…"

"Idiot." Naru reiterated, "Come on, I'll take you back." Naru took Mai's hand and carefully led her back to his room. He methodically pulled back the covers before sitting her down on the bed. "Lay down."

Complying quickly, Mai did as she was commanded and Naru wordlessly pulled the covers up to her neck. "Make sure to call me this time if you need anything." Naru's tone of voice told that Mai she better listen or there would be hell to pay. Naru shut off the lights and moved toward the doorway. "Oh and Mai…I don't want to find any of my décor damaged due to your stupidity, do you understand?"

"I do…" Mai sunk deep into the covers. She didn't like it when Naru used that tone…

~Chapter 11 End~

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A/N: Once again, please review! I love to hear from my readers! Should be getting more chapters up soon!


	12. Chapter 12

Silence flooded the space and Mai was sure she was not going to be able to sleep. The bed smelled of Naru and she was overly sensitive to everything; every sound, every breath of air, and every sensation her body felt as she restlessly tussled around within the covers. It was an unfamiliar bed, unfamiliar room, and an unfamiliar house. She could hear every little noise and it was driving her nuts. She couldn't relax even if she wanted to. Her body was tired but her mind was going a mile a minute. There was so much to think about, so many things had happened. It was so much…almost too much, but somehow Mai drifted off to sleep…a much, much needed sleep.

~x~

"I…I can see?" Mai looked around her surroundings with elation until she realized, with much dismay that she had merely awoken to her dream. Her joy immediately diminished like the rapid dissipation of rain to a fire. "Well…at least I can still see here even though there really isn't much to see…" she commented dryly, poking at one of the passing orbs of light.

"Did you want to see something?" Her dream Naru appeared before her suddenly, good intentions written all over his face. He was also so…well…Naru in every way other than the air around him, the look on his face, the gentle note in his voice…

Surprised, though not too surprised, Mai looked up to gaze upon her dream guide. She had gotten used to him popping up out of nowhere like, though she never could actually predict it or expect it. "Not really…it's just weird seeing things here when I am trying to get used to the darkness when I am awake…" Mai didn't know what good it would do telling herself such information but it helped calm her down so why not go for it.

"…what do you mean?" Mai could hear the genuine concern in his voice…the voice that was the exact copy of Naru's. She had only heard that sincere concern from Naru himself a few times…but it was the same…there was no doubt about it.

Mai stared at her guide for a moment, scrutinizing her supposed creation. He was like Naru in every way, shape, and form from his voice to his clothes. But Mai found it odd when she actually had conversations with him and was not just gathering information or being led through a vision.

Could she really have such conversations with herself?

The genuine tones and expressions, the range of emotions, and the gentle, smooth nature of the person before her…

Could she have really come up with them when she had hardly, if ever, seen the real Naru perform them? Were her visions so vivid that they filled in the blanks for her? Maybe it was how her mind wished Naru to be? Either way, it was something that plagued Mai's thoughts. Though for the moment she supposed there was something a bit more pressing. "I can't see…" Mai finally admitted amongst her inspection, her thoughts far from her own predicament.

"What!" He crouched before her. "You're blind?"

"Yeah…" She trailed off. He was so, so close…Mai shook her head and focused on the conversation. "After the case…I suddenly couldn't see. Everything went black…"

"…doctor…have you been to a doctor?" His eyes were full of worry and it was easy for Mai to see just how concerned he was. It was so very sincere and honest; Mai thanked the Gods that at least in this place she could see such a lovely expression. She felt loved. "Yeah, he said something about a pinched nerve or something…I don't really believe it though since I didn't really do anything to make it suddenly disappear like that…" Mai explained slowly. It was the truth that she had been trying so hard to deny. She had not fallen and hit her head…she had done nothing to her knowledge to bring on the loss…it just happened. Mai was scared to think too much about it since she knew full well she hadn't fallen at that time…which could only mean that something else was going on, something more serious…much more serious.

"Well, if it is just pinched you know it will get better…" he tried to soothe the best he could.

"But…but what if it doesn't?" Mai looked up and met the boy's clear eyes. There was just something…

"You're not Naru, are you?" She blurted out unintentionally.

Something about his eyes just made her have to ask the question. "You are not something I made up either…"

She was answered with silence but Mai wasn't really concerned with the lack of response. The stunned and somewhat taken aback expression etched on his face was a good enough response for her.

"Tell me, who are you?"

Still there was silence but Mai didn't mind. She had at least confirmed her suspicions that had been bugging her for so long; and she had finally voiced what she had desperately wanted to say…

No doubt there would be a next time…

~Chapter 12 End~

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A/N: Another chapter down! Let me know how you like it!


	13. Chapter 13

Without any answers, Mai awoke to a dark world. She found herself more frustrated than she thought she'd be, but she could only hope that next time she would be able to find out more.

The world was strangely silent and empty. No playful rays of sun to great her and tell her of the morn, no illuminated walls as she rose from her bed, and no light of the day to see her off. It was quite lonesome and depressing to put it mildly. Mai sat up slowly. It was certainly weird waking up and not being able to see, her eyes were wide open yet they might as well have been closed. She wanted to get dressed but Mai couldn't find her clothes anywhere, not to mention that she didn't want to knock anything over either…it was a no win situation no matter what.

With great effort and extreme caution, Mai found her way into the hall and navigated back to where she thought the living room might be. It was hard to determine time as things were. She couldn't tell if it was light out or not, early morning or afternoon. Her body told her it was time to wake up but to her it always seemed like night.

"Mai-san?" Lin called out upon seeing Mai stumble down the hallway.

"Lin-san!" Mai perked up immediately. It must have been the correct time to get up if he was up and around. Mai took a quick step forward and tripped right into a waiting Lin who easily helped her to the table. He had suspected such actions and was luckily already prepared for what had transpired.

"Breakfast will be ready soon." Lin commented as he gently sat her down at the table.

"Oh, thank you for the help." Stirring restlessly in her seat, Mai didn't like not being able to see her surroundings. It was bad enough that she was completely unfamiliar with the strange house and not being able to see any of it was just insult to injury.

"Naru is in the shower, he will be out soon." Lin smirked to himself as he watched Mai relax. She really was too easy to read. He found it amusing, to say the least, watching all her interesting reactions. Mai was really surprisingly interesting.

"Oh, um…okay." Mai stammered. "So, Lin-san, do you do all the cooking?" She questioned quickly; she didn't like the awkward silence.

"We go out sometimes or order in, even buy pre-made meals on occasion as well." Lin responded simply. "It depends."

"Oh, I see!" Mai smiled. Just the thought of Naru in the kitchen trying to cook instantly brought an even brighter smile to her face. "I have to for myself too, though some nights I'm too lazy so I just go out." Mai tried to keep the conversation alive but she could already tell that it was dying…

"Good morning." Lin spoke softly.

"Good morning." Naru's voice filtered through the air. Mai could smell the fresh scent of soap fill the air as he entered the room. Mai couldn't help but wish she could see what he looked like at that exact moment. She was sure he was beyond handsome, something truly amazing to behold…and she couldn't see it.

Life was so unfair…

"How are you feeling?" Naru asked as he sat down at the table, opposite of Mai.

"Fine…" Mai responded tentatively but truthfully. "Just trying to get used to not being able to see anything…its tough, obviously…"

She didn't mean to sound cynical, but what else was she supposed to say? There really was nothing that could be said in such a situation. Mai knew nothing was going to change and she didn't know anything that would provide help either. No matter how you looked at it, she was stuck.

"In that case, if you are up for it, we will go to the office today."

"That's fine, its not like I'm sick…or anything…"

"I am sure there is 'something' you can do even if you can't see. Also, I will contact your school to let them know that you will be off for some time due to medical reasons." Naru finished and took a sip of tea.

Mai wanted to leap across the table and beat the crap out of her so called boss so badly, but ultimately decided that it would take too much energy and that she might as well try to eat the food Lin-san had just placed before her before it got cold.

Oh, how naïve she was…

Who would have ever thought eating could be so difficult without the ability to see. Mai tried to take a bite and missed her mouth…missed it completely. What a shock! Not only did she have to navigate places, but now her mouth as well; how ridiculous. Mai couldn't believe it. Dumbstruck couldn't even describe what she was feeling as she tried to eat and finish her meal without looking like a total looser…though she was sure it was probably a bit too late for that already.

Surprisingly, Naru remained respectfully quiet during Mai's entire eating ordeal. He had stopped what he was doing as soon as she had missed her mouth but he had unexpectedly said nothing. Naru merely made simple comments throughout the meal about where her hands should be or to be careful not to hit into the bowls. For the most part, he was actually fairly helpful. "We should head out to the office now." Naru finally commented after they had all finished eating.

Once again, Mai was left staring blankly in Naru's direction. He was overlooking something important again…

"Ahem…" Mai coughed.

"What is it?"

For being so bright, Naru really was so clueless. His snappy and irritated tone he used to respond to her made Mai even more disgruntled. "…clothes…I need to change…" Mai commented bluntly though slightly embarrassed. She was wearing 'just' a T-shirt after all. How could he overlook such an obvious thing?

"Ah, right…" realization seemed to suddenly dawn on Naru and Mai really wondered what sort of face he was making. "I'll go get your clothes…"

"Is there anything else you need, Mai-san?" With a kind voice, Lin asked from somewhere behind her.

Looking up shyly, "Sorry, can you lead me to the bathroom?" She really hated having to bother and ask but she needed to go and she wouldn't be able to get there on her own.

"Don't apologize." Taking her hand, Lin helped Mai to her feet slowly. "It's this way." He led her toward the bathroom with obvious patience and care. "I'll be in the living room. When you're done I'll take you to Naru's room so we can get you changed and ready to go." Lin voiced as he left Mai in the bathroom, a smile on his face from Mai's blushing expression. Certainly amusing…

"Will this do?" Naru entered the living room with a set of clothes draped over his arm. It hadn't taken him long but it didn't really require that much effort. How in the world could it even take women longer than a few minutes to select an outfit? Such a thought was absolutely baffling.

"That should be fine." Lin voiced as he looked at the skirt and shirt Naru had selected. If he recalled correctly, it was the same ensemble Mai had been wearing the very first day of the case. Knowing Naru, he had probably remembered that as well and deemed it suitable. "Would you like me to help you get her dressed?" Lin offered with a leering smile.

"That won't be necessary." Naru assured in an aloof tone as he turned away.

Tentatively stepping from the bathroom, Mai prepared her self to feel for the wall when Naru grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward the bedroom. "This way."

As quickly as possible, Naru pulled clothes off and on a still stunned Mai. It wasn't that bad…just like dressing a doll. Naru decided it really was worth it just to see Mai's reactions to his actions…it was amusing to say the least.

A short time later, they left for the office with a still beat red Mai and a rather bemused looking Naru.

~Chapter 13 End~

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A/N: Rather short, but I will get more out soon! Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

Tick…tick…tick…

Mai could have beaten herself into oblivion to the rhythm of the clock; she was so inescapably bored. Naru and Lin had both withdrawn and shut themselves up in their offices leaving Mai sitting alone on the couch in the lobby. She had been there long enough to have a rough idea of where everything was located, but there was no real point in trying to move around anyway. What would she do; make tea? That would probably be an adventure to say that least, which would no doubt end with spilled liquids and horrible scalding burns…

Naru had been kind enough, well at least he thought he was kind, to set her up with a task that he had deemed even a blind person could do before he had holed himself up…but Mai found that it didn't hold her attention for long. Counting papers and clipping them together was not her idea of work.

Time passed slowly and before long Mai had fallen asleep and found herself very much awake in her dream world. "So, are you going to tell me who you are?" Mai immediately confronted her guide who was quite conveniently there.

"What makes you think that I'm not Naru?" He smiled ever so cleverly.

"Questions like that make me think that you are not Naru, nor a Naru that I made up!" Mai retorted angrily. She could tell that he was enjoying it, her confusion and anxiety, and she didn't like it one bit.

"So, if I am neither, then what am I?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm asking!" Mai wanted to ask so many things. Was he a spirit? Why did he look like Naru of all people? Most importantly, where was she and why was he there too? There were just so many things…

"Aren't you scared?" He asked with a questioning look.

"…No…should I be?" Mai replied softly after a short moment. "You help me all the time, there is no way I could be scared of you…"

"Heh…I suppose so…" He admitted laughingly.

"You look just like Naru…the spitting image in fact." Moving closer, Mai admired the boy before her. "You sound like him and you even have the same black clothes…yet I can't help but feel that you are not my Naru." She explained slowly after continuing to look closely.

"Why?" Her guide asked simply.

"All this time I have believed you to be Naru…or rather a Naru that my mind created to help me out in these unfamiliar situations, but I have been with Naru long enough now to know him as the person that he is. I…" Mai paused. "I have watched him enough to know that you're not him. You're different…too different for my mind to even conjure up…or at least that is what I think." She started to blush despite herself. It was like she had practically confessed the fact that she was watching Naru all the time because she was attracted to him. It felt like she had told him she was some kind of creepy stalker…that she had watched Naru close enough to see…

"Gene…"

"What?" Mai jolted from her thoughts.

"Well, Eugene, to be exact…my name is Eugene Davis."

For a moment, all Mai could do was stare. So, he really was someone different, a stranger for all practical purposes, though she really felt so close to him already even though she barely knew anything about him. He was 'something' and not a creation of thought or some weird projection of hers. "Are…are you…"

Gene smiled at Mai's troubled expression, she was really so easy to read. "Dead?" he finished for her. "Yes, to answer your question, I died…a little more than two years ago now."

"So, you're a spirit?"

He smiled at Mai's puzzled face. "I suppose…" It was entertaining to watch the girl try to make sense of all the information she was getting. Just like she had come to know him, Gene felt as if he had equally come to know the young lady that often frequented his domain.

"What are you doing in my dreams?" Mai asked, tilting her head slightly. Why would a spirit come and help her with cases? More importantly, how could a spirit be there to help with her visions anyway? She didn't think he was malicious in the least, but that still brought up questions of why would something that was dead be there in the first place.

"The question should be what 'you' are doing in 'this' plain of existence…" Mai merely gave a blank look in his direction. "You are the one who comes here…probably due to your ESP and affinity to the paranormal." Gene sighed softly.

"Not like I 'want' to come here…" Mai mumbled and Gene couldn't help but laugh at her pouting, stubborn face. "I wish Naru would laugh like that."

"He was never really the type." Gene mused for but a second. "But, that's enough for now! See you next time, Mai…"

"What…hey, wait!"

Mai awoke with a jolt, a gasp escaping her lips. She still could not get used to the fact that she was actually waking up to darkness…it was just too convoluted, too backward.

"Awake?" Naru's voice came from the side. "You've slept all afternoon, its time to head home."

"Ah, okay." Mai voiced as she allowed Naru to help her up and out to the car. She sure didn't feel like she had slept at all. In fact, it felt as if she had barely rested for five minutes, let alone all afternoon. Her mind was so preoccupied…

Upon returning to Naru's house, Mai continued to try and sort out the information she had gained. Lin immediately started to prepare dinner and Naru went off to sort out her bag ahead of time. Mai found it funny how prepared he liked to be. It was so like him to be so well organized. She was left in the living room listening to the TV which was left on some news station.

It was quite easy to tune out.

Her dream guide turned out to be a real person, a real dead person…

A self proclaimed spirit named Eugene, or Gene rather, Davis. Did he look like Naru because it was a convenient form? Why would he wish for his appearance to mirror a living person's look? It couldn't possibly be his real appearance…

For some reason, that Mai just could not place, the name sounded so familiar…maybe…no, Mai was not sure.

Also, it seemed that 'she' was the one going places. It was not all in her head nor were her visions just simple dreams. Sure, she had pretty much figured that much out already…but it was unexpected to learn that she was the one going to where Gene was and not the other way around.

Mai wanted to know more…much, much more.

~x~

"To the left…" Naru sighed after it seemed he could no longer stand watching the awkward dinner scene before him. Mai still found eating to be rather difficult and uncomfortable. "A little more…there. That bowl your hand is touching…" Naru coaxed with a calm Mai would never have been able to muster.

Mai decided that he was only helping in such a way since he didn't want her to hit over a bowl and make a mess that they would then have to clean up. It was the only explanation for his seemingly kind behavior. Doing something troublesome to prevent the possibility of even more trouble later on…that had to be his way of thinking.

Naru finally grabbed Mai's hand, startling her in the process, and placed a strange utensil in her grasp. "Use this, it will be easier to use." He explained shortly.

Mai moved the fork around in her hand absently. It was certainly easier to eat with and she finished eating without too much further trouble. Without much else to do, Mai sat fidgeting on the couch in the living room. It was one of those awkward times in which Mai didn't quite know what to do with herself. She could hear the sounds of dishes being washed and the TV blaring about the news of the day, like she cared about any of it in the least.

It was nearing bed time she was sure, and Mai started to weigh her options.

Naru had gone to work on who-knows-what in his office and it sounded like Lin was reading some thing in the room close by. Page after page, Mai wondered vaguely what it was the older man was reading…but then again she knew that she would hardly comprehend nor care all that much to really press the matter. "Um…Lin-san?" Mai ventured after she could no longer-not-keep her mouth shut. She didn't entirely want to interrupt but she also didn't really have much of a choice.

"Do you need something, Mai-san?" Lin's voice came from behind her.

"I would like to…" Mai hesitated. "I mean, can you help me take…a shower? I feel really dirty…" No matter her best effort, Mai could not stop the blush that was no doubt on her face…but she wanted a shower! Knowing her, if she tried it on her own she would probably fail early on while trying to get undressed and crack her head open on the side of the tub…dare say she actually made it into the bath, she would no doubt slip while trying to get out and crash into the counter causing irreparable damage to not only herself but the room as well. Mai didn't need any of that on top of everything else that was going on, not to mention it would just bring even further trouble to Naru…and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Would you like me to call Naru?" Lin smiled a knowing smile and in full confidence since he knew no one would be able to see it. Mai had no doubt thought over her decision for some time and ultimately decided to go with the lesser of two evils.

"N-no!" Mai stammered, obviously flustered. "Y-you don't need to!"

"Here." Lin took hold of Mai's arm and helped her to the bathroom where he promptly walked her through the layout of the shower. Mai was starting to regret her decision almost as soon as she proposed it. Being in the bathroom only made it that much more real; the sound of the tub filling with water, the sweet scent of soap, and the shuffling sounds around the space. "Soap, shampoo, and a wash cloth are right on the edge of the tub." Lin pulled Mai's frozen stiff arm downward to the location of the placed bottles. "Now arms up."

Wordlessly and much too mindlessly, Mai complied allowing Lin to quickly disrobe her and deposit her into the warm water of the bath. She could only sit there in a daze as Lin shut the water off and sat out clean towels for her to use and a freshly washed shirt for her to sleep in when she was finished. "I know it might be embarrassing, but please call for me if you have any trouble at all. I do not want you getting hurt and it can be quite dangerous so please take care."

Sinking low into the water, realization literally washed over Mai. "I-I know, I will be. Thank you so much for all your help and I will be sure to call for you if I need anything…"

"Just call for me when you are finished; I don't want you slipping when you try to get out." Lin finished and left the room headed back to the living room leaving a very embarrassed young lady alone to her bath.

"Where is Mai?" Naru inquired as he entered the space a short time later.

"Taking a bath." Lin responded nonchalantly. "She should be done fairly soon I would suspect." Naru stood still, obviously in thought. "Don't worry, I helped her for you. I think she was too embarrassed to ask for your assistance."

"Why?"

Lin perked. Naru really didn't understand a girl's reasoning. "Probably because she didn't want you to see…because she likes you…"

"…that is not a sufficient reason at all…and it's not rational."

Lin wanted to laugh out loud upon seeing Naru in his full scientist mode; it really was very simple of a concept…but Naru didn't know any better so he held it in well. "Girls, especially girls of Mai's age, are anything but rational…"

"Lin-san!" Mai's voice rang out suddenly, halting the conversation. "I'm finished…c-can you help me back?"

Mai was death gripping the side of the tub. It was a great inner struggle whether she should call for help or just try to get out and dressed on her own. Thinking back, it had not ended well the last time the thought 'it can't be that hard' had crossed her mind. Even if she thought the task of getting out of the tub was easy, her luck would have her face down with a head wound painting the floor a pretty shade of red. Mai didn't want to chance it. Nothing would be seen that hadn't no doubt already been seen…so what the hell…

The door clicked open and Mai's grip tightened. A warm hand gently took hold of her arm and guided her up and out of the tub, supporting her the entire time. A fluffy towel was guided around her and Mai let out a sigh of relief as she started to dry off. "Thank you Li-"

"I am amazed that you were actually able to shower without causing yourself any harm or damage to my bathroom, especially given your clumsiness." Naru commented dryly, the color instantly draining from Mai's face. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. She wanted to panic, flail about from the immense embarrassment of the situation, but she just stood there…a stupidly stunned expression glued to her face.

Taking note of the statue that was Mai before him; Naru wordlessly pulled the clean shirt Lin had prepared over her head, letting the towel fall to the ground as he did so. He quickly took hold of her hand and led her from the room, Mai unconsciously squeezed into the hold much tighter than necessary…but she couldn't help it.

It was a strange sensation for Naru to smell Mai with the same scents he usually carried; realization struck that he had in fact actually taken note of what Mai usually smelled of before…

"You know…" Mai's tentative broke Naru from his line of thought. "I can sleep on the floor or the couch or something…you can have your bed back…" Her words were soft but sincere.

"Don't worry about it, its fine." Naru assured as they passed the threshold to his room. "Goodnight, Mai." Naru voiced gently as he settled Mai into the covers and switched the lights off as he left.

"Goodnight…"

~Chapter 14 End~

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A/N: I love how the hardest thing I had to think about in this chapter was whether to make the bath Japanese style or western style! Go me...

Please review! ^_^


	15. Chapter 15

A few days later…

Time held different in the passing days. The world continued on as if nothing was amiss and the days went by in much the same manner as they had been. Mai was pleased that she was finally able to navigate Naru's house without much assistance. She had a fairly clear picture of the layout in her mind and it really helped that both Naru and Lin were so accommodating. It also seemed that Naru was actually getting used to having a girl around, though Mai could not be sure of this since she could not actually see him to determine for certain what he was really expressing.

….she still couldn't see…

Mai had not expected to get better right away, but it was starting to become unnerving and quite clear, at least to her, that something wasn't right. She didn't feel bad or anything and she didn't sense anything off in the paranormal sense…but it was strange…

The waking world proved to be terribly boring no matter what Mai tried to occupy herself with. The world was black and nothing held her attention for long…not that there were many tasks she could do anyway. Naru would take her out places as a sort of field trip for her, not like they were dates or anything, but even then Naru had work to do and she had homework pilling up that she had to mull through with any help she could get.

Mai blushed at the thought, but reminded herself that they were 'not' dates but outings…totally different…though he had held her hand almost the entire time on pretty much every single trip…

"No!" Mai said out loud despite herself. Holding hand was nothing. It was purely for her sake…for balance and to lead her…no better than a dog! There was…couldn't be…any other reason for it.

As much as Mai enjoyed the 'outings' Naru provided for her, there was not much for her to do otherwise while awake; Mai spent most of her time asleep, frequenting her dream world quite often. She had already learned a great deal about her guide, which was no surprise considering how much time she was spending with him. It seemed like every waking moment she was unoccupied, she would drift to sleep and run off to find Gene to learn even more…

~x~

"Here again?" Gene was surprised to see Mai yet again; what was it…the third time that day? The girl had been visiting quite often the last few days, forcing him to wake to meet her.

There had been so much that Mai had wanted to know and truly so much, almost too much, to explain.

"Why do you look like Naru?" Mai had asked soon after her first visit upon finding out that he was not her creation and that he was indeed an actual spirit that had been alive at one point in time. Mai had wanted to learn everything she could; she was there anyways so she might as well.

"Probably because I am Naru's twin…well, Noll's twin actually since that is his nickname." Gene was surprised with himself at how truthful he had been. "I thought you already knew that he was Oliver Davis…"

"Ah!" Mai had hit her hand with her fist. "I knew your name sounded familiar! I didn't know Naru had a twin…"

Gene chuckled as he recalled the moments that passed at that time. Mai's expression had wilted as realization set in. The fact was clear that Naru's brother was dead since he was right there with her.

"Don't look so sad…" Gene had soothed the best he could. At the time, it was something he'd rather not go into…but for Mai it was something that she needed to know. He remembered how bitter sweet the conversation on the subject had been…

"But it is sad…" Mai sniffled despite herself. "How did you die?"

"That…" Gene started but the look in Mai's eye made him reconsider. "You don't have to worry yourself about that." He finished with a reassuring smile. She didn't need to know. The truth would only make her more disheartened and that was not a burden for her to bear. It wasn't her fault that she was there; Mai stumbled across him…she didn't need to know his pain.

"Please…" Mai inched closer. "Please tell me, show me what happened!" It was clear that Gene didn't want to trouble her further, but Mai wanted to know…she felt close to Gene, like he was a friend just like any other in the waking world…and he was Naru's brother. There was so much she wanted to know, so many questions to ask, yet she felt like it was something she shouldn't touch…

It must have been painful and not something anyone should have to relive. Mai didn't like the feelings welling up inside her in the least. She had always been emotional and sentimental, but for some reason it felt so much worse. If it were her, she would not be able to stand it being so close, yet so utterly far, from a loved one. Gene was always helping his brother by helping her and yet Naru was alone. Mai couldn't help but wonder. Why was Gene there anyway? What happened to him?

"Tell me…please…"

"It doesn't matter anymore. It happened already, there is no reason for you to worry about it…" Gene reasoned. Really, there was no point…it was done and over with.

"That's not the point!" Mai was angry. He may have already died, but that didn't make him any less real to her. "It does matter! It was your life and it was important! I know I might seem nosy and that it is none of my business, but aren't I your friend! You don't have to suffer along anymore! I want to be there for you…and for Naru! I want…I want to be closer to you…know more about you…" Mai trailed off and turned away swiftly, a soft blush apparent on her cheeks. She hadn't meant to say such embarrassing things so passionately, but it all sort of flowed out. It was how she really felt. No matter how painful it was, she wanted to share it with him. She wanted to know…

Through the embarrassment, Gene could see the honest sincerity Mai held. He knew her well enough to know that she would not rest until she resolved things and that she would only be troubled that much more by not knowing. That was just how Mai was…

Suddenly the scenery changed and Mai watched in horror as a car sped passed her and into an unsuspecting person; the impact made Mai sick to her stomach and she wanted to turn away, but she just couldn't. As if that wasn't enough, Mai watched through blurry eyes as the driver panicked and finished the job before loading the broken body into the trunk of the car before driving away as if nothing had happened at all.

Tear stricken and beyond herself with grief, Mai wanted it to be over in that instant…but unfortunately there was still more to see.

The driver drove on and soon pulled off to the side of the vacant road, a beautiful inland lake reflected the stillness of the night. Mai gasped and held her mouth tight as ripples broke the glass-like appearance of the lake's surface; the splash from the water shattering the silence…his body had been discarded into a watery grave.

The car left as quickly as it had come and Mai stood sobbing overlooking the once again serene location. Even though she had just witnessed what had happened, looking at the lake now, no one would have ever guessed. The road was silent, devoid of traffic and the ripples had already swiftly run their course. The lake looked as untouched as freshly fallen snow, not a single imperfection remained.

Nothing remained…

"This happened a little over two years ago…when I was visiting Japan…" Gene spoke softly…forlornly, staring out over the lake.

Mai turned her attention to him but said nothing. It was so sad, so terribly sad that she didn't even have the words.

"Noll…he saw it all…just as you just did…everything that happened to me. He saw it when he touched a shirt of mine…" Gene trailed off and the bleak darkness of night melted away to the bright colors of day. Golden rays of sun illuminated the walkways of a grand western style mansion.

Mai looked around at the stunning images before her, awestruck. Everything was so beautiful, the flowers in the garden so very lovely. Mai followed Gene wordlessly down corridors and through rooms until he invited her into a particular room. Her eyes landed on a photo frame with the two identical looking boys in the picture. "Is this…you and Naru?" Mai questioned as she touched the frame gently.

"Yep…" Gene smiled a somewhat conflicted expression on his face. "Naru is actually the one in white."

"What!" Mai did a double take at the picture. "That can't be!"

"He actually always liked to wear white. I was the one that always wore black." Gene turned his smile to Mai. "He actually took my clothes and wore them after my death…that is why we look the same to you. I don't know if it is his way of mourning or what, but that is why his clothes are black…idiot scientist…"

"Then this is your house?"

"It is…but we should save that for another time. You should wake up now…he is going to be worried about your tears…" Gene pulled Mai's hand bringing her to follow him back into neutral space. "We can talk more next time!"

"But!"

"…I am glad I shared that with you…but please don't tell Naru where I am…"

"What?"

"He came to Japan to find me…he has been searching for the lake you both saw…everywhere, trying to find my body. Please don't tell him where it is, promise me…"

"…why? Why would you want to…?" Mai's voice started to fade.

"Promise…next time we can talk more…"

"Promise…" Mai mumbled her tears still far from stopping. She had gotten what she had wanted but she wasn't the least bit happy about it.

~Chapter 15 End~

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A/N: Hope I got everything correct...just know I tried my best to be as correct as possible and get everything right as I saw fit for this story! Let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 16

"Do your eyes hurt?"

Once again, Naru had come upon Mai's formerly sleeping form…and once again she had slept the entire afternoon away and was just now waking. Her tear stained face was oddly reminiscent of her expression some days ago and similarly was the tightening in his chest. It was clear that she had been crying for awhile, much like the time before. New tears continued to drip down over stains long since dried. "Are you in pain anywhere?"

Why was she crying in her sleep yet again? Was she hut? Did something happen that he didn't know about? Naru decided he didn't like these tears at all. They held a strange power that made him loose his rationality and control. It was hard 'not' to think clearly and without emotion when Mai's tears were involved.

"No…" Mai rubbed at her face and sniffled hard. "I think I just had a sad dream, a very sad dream…"

"It was just a dream, don't let it trouble you." Naru continued to stare at Mai as she wiped the tears from her face. It was rather convenient that she could not see him inspecting her. He never realized how much there was to see once he was able to stare at her all the time he pleased. Mai never failed to intrigue him. "We're heading home, you can clean up there."

Mai simply nodded. She knew her face was a mess and her eyes were probably puffy and red but she really didn't care. If only it was 'just' a dream…if they were all just dreams. But they weren't and there was no way she could not be troubled by them…

Gene had suffered such a horrible, untimely death and Naru had to suffer with the fact that he had watched his brother die after it had already happened. Even now he must be suffering alone trying to find the lake that contained Gene's body. No, Mai knew Naru was trying to find Gene's body no doubt about it.

Mai finished dinner listlessly and without much interest. Her thoughts were far from herself. The knowledge that she had learned over the seemingly endless days played over and over in her mind nonstop. She knew exactly where Gene's body was, like it was seared into her mind. She recalled every detail of the lake and the road as if she had been there a thousand times before. Of course she had never been there or even remotely close to the location, but she knew it…it felt so real when she thought of it. Mai couldn't help but recall the look on Gene's face as he relived it all.

Just like Naru, he was as skilled at masking his true emotion. Gene was impossible to read. He said he was glad that he had shared his secret, yet he made her promise not to tell Naru anything about him or where to find his body.

Did he not want to be found? Did he want Naru to continue to look for him? Wouldn't that be painful…to the both of them?

Mai couldn't understand. There was no way she could understand such a thing. It didn't make any sense. No matter how long Mai thought about it, she couldn't come to a conclusion…

Why?

~x~

"I don't understand…"

"What?" Gene was actually taken by surprise. Mai was there yet again even though it seemed like she had just left moments ago. He enjoyed her company, but it couldn't be good for her health for her to be with him so often.

"I don't understand!" Mai balled her fists at her sides. "Why!" Why don't you want Naru to know where you are!" Mai clenched her teeth and refused to cry again. "You're his brother! He must be suffering not knowing where you are…how can you be so cruel!"

"Mai…" Gene started slowly, moving closer to the emotional girl. "There are…there are a lot of things you don't know, reasons and circumstances that you know nothing of. You can't tell him about me or anything you learn about us here…"

"Then tell me! Tell me more, please!" Mai pleaded with wide eyes. "…so I can understand…"

Surprisingly, Gene acquiesced to her demand without much resistance. The look he held momentarily as if weighing his options passed quickly and an expression of resignation settled on his face. All things considered, Mai was pleased but at the same time terribly worried that she was somehow making Gene do something that he didn't really want to do. Even though he assured her that he was sharing because he wanted to, because he knew where she was coming from…but Mai was not sure and it pulled at her conscience relentlessly.

Gene showed Mai memories of a Naru she didn't know.

A white-wearing, stubborn, stand-offish Naru that was a scientist through and through…

He really was amazing, a doctor even. The more she saw the more it became clear why Gene so fondly addressed him as "an idiot scientist" so often. Naru really was hopeless at some things despite his posh upbringing. Their home in England could only be described as grand. Gene gave Mai a tour of the place explaining that the only reason Naru was in Japan, doing the job she had come to know…was to look for him there. He explained that it was good for Naru to be doing what he was…getting close to other people and interacting in the real world.

Even though it was explained as such, and even though Mai could understand the reasoning, there was still the emotion that wondered how he could possibly hurt his brother so…hurt them both as it where. No matter what good intentions Gene had, Naru would never be able to be truly and completely happy as things were.

Nothing more was said on the subject of why he didn't want Naru to find, or even know where, his body was. Mai assumed it was because Gene truly thought it was for the best in every way so to speak. With the reason of trying to find his brother, Naru was able to remain in Japan and work. He met new people and gained life experience. It, in its own way, made sense to Mai even if she didn't particularly feel alright with it. Though, since it meant keeping Naru in Japan, Mai would surely keep her promise even if it killed her. Gene was a dear friend like none other, he almost felt like family already. She could not betray him…not as if she was one to really break her promises anyway.

"Thank you…" Mai smiled at Gene sweetly. "I'm so glad to know and learn so much about you and Naru…it really makes me happy…so thank you."

Gene took one look at Mai's face and smirked, the mirror image of Naru, devious and cunning. "It must be because of love…right?"

Instantly, Mai's face became bright red and Gene laughed thoroughly at the expression. Even though she wanted to deny it, she just couldn't make her mouth say it.

Mai couldn't deny it…

~x~

Try as she might, Mai once again failed to keep her eyes open. I was an ever apparent event. As the days passed by, it only became increasingly clear that something was wrong; very, very wrong.

No matter how long she slept or rested, Mai still felt tired. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep. Her body was constantly seeking rest and Mai was never satisfied no matter what. She could barely manage to stay awake long enough to eat, let alone do much of anything else.

On more than one occasion, Naru had to intervene during a meal to catch her head before it hit the table or to grab her before she slipped from the chair to the floor. She could be in mid-motion putting food in her mouth, it didn't matter…the feeling of fatigue would be so strong that Mai would collapse instantly into sleep. Not only did Naru have to help her since she couldn't see, but now he had to pay attention even when she was awake…to make sure that she didn't hurt herself with her narcoleptic tendencies.

Mai hated to admit it, but it was no longer possible to hide that nothing was wrong. In fact, it felt more than wrong. Even when she was with Gene, she now felt tired…so much so that just the act of standing with him talking was becoming difficult.

She was not resting more because her body was recovering…Mai was sure her body was getting worse…

A Week or so after Returning…

"…the spirit is gone…but the blindfold left behind is not…" Gene looked over at Mai, a displeased look forming on his face. The girl looked more like a ghost than he did. It was obvious that her circumstances were not normal and that there was indeed something wrong with Mai's body. It was faint, but Gene could see…something. It must have had something to do with the spirit from before but even he was unsure of what that may be.

Mai was coming to him less often and when she was there, like she was now, she was no better than a corpse. She was listless and always in a daze…pale and lethargic looking. It was more than worrisome.

Gene knew that he had to help Mai in someway; he knew that her affliction was not of normal sorts and only he could see it. But he also knew that this time around there was nothing he could do to help her in his territory…which meant the only way to help her would be through his brother.

The idea alone was daunting enough and Gene found the thought more difficult than he imagined. His brother could not meet him on the plain like Mai was able to, nor could he himself reach anywhere passed it…but he had to try none the less…

Mai's sight was only the first thing to be taken…it wouldn't be long before she lost everything…including her very life…

~x~

"Where is Mai?" Naru immediately inquired upon entering the kitchen looking for his morning tea. He couldn't place it, but he had awoken to a nagging sensation…Naru had a bad feeling about it already. What was it trying to tell him?

"Still sleeping…" Lin replied with well placed concern. It was not like him to let emotion show, but he couldn't help but worry. Mai's behavior was anything but normal. "She has been sleeping now for more than fourteen hours."

"It's been like that for a couple of days now." Naru trailed. "I will talk to the doctor today about it; Mai has a check-up later." He couldn't help it either; he was worried to say the least.

The events from before still plagued Naru in the back of his mind. The feelings that were starting to bud were conflicting and dubious…but the look of Mai's body and the recent memories of their time together would just not leave him alone. Naru knew it was neither the time nor the place…but he was starting to genuinely care; care like he never thought he was capable of.

With some effort and a bit of time, Naru was able to rouse Mai and get her dressed and out the door. "Where are we going?" Mai rubbed at her eyes sleepily. It hadn't even been an hour yet since she had gotten up, yet it didn't feel like she had slept at all. The way her body felt, it seemed like she hadn't slept in weeks…

"Unfortunately, I can't find anything wrong with you…" The doctor tried to sound optimistic but Mai could hear his doubts. "Your eyes have not improved and your physical condition is declining, but I can not find any reason as to why you would be having the problems you are having." The doctor continued slowly. He was seemingly stumped by her symptoms of fatigue and her appearance. She ate plenty and certainly got enough sleep.

"Your prognosis?" Naru prompted a hint of concern in his voice.

"Ah, well…" The doctor mulled for a moment. "Seeing how she has deteriorated in such a short amount of time, I would like to admit her to pursue further tests. Right now, there is just not enough information for me to make a sound diagnosis."

At the mere mention of being admitted to the hospital, Mai's face drained of what little color it had and her body stiffened. She didn't like hospitals to begin with and with her circumstances as they were, it made the thought that much more unpleasant. The last thing she wanted to think about was the thought of leaving Naru. It was embarrassing more times than not, and she hated to trouble her boss like she was, but she felt safe with him. She didn't want to leave Naru's house no matter what…

Naru truthfully thought Mai was going to collapse right there at the clinic, causing a huge commotion no doubt. She looked visibly ill, more so than she had been moments before and Naru could pretty much guess what had freaked her out so. "Doctor, I believe that admittance at this point in time is a bit preemptive; she is just now beginning to settle in and I believe the stress of a new environment would only be more detrimental to her condition."

Anxiety washed over Mai as the doctor hesitated in responding. Did Naru notice her plight and interject? Knowing him…it was highly probable. Mai made a mental note that she would have to fawn at his feet in her unending appreciation for his efforts later…especially if he got her out of being admitted to the hospital.

"Hrm, then in that case I'd like to see her in another week." The doctor addressed Naru. "Her vitals are fine, but please bring her to the hospital immediately if she starts to worsen. Since we don't know what's wrong, it's best not to take any chances. I am concerned about her condition as it is now so if there are any signs of change, come back at once."

Naru politely thanked the doctor and made the arrangements for the next appointment. Mai didn't waste any time in hurrying out of the room or falling asleep, and by the time they returned to the house, she was dead to the world.

The check-up proved useless, the doctor could find nothing wrong, but Mai was obviously not getting better…if anything she was getting worse. She was languid and pale…haggard in appearance, looking almost like…

"Naru?" Lin questioned slowly given the expression that washed over his young charge's face. "What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, Naru bolted up from the table and rushed to his room. He took hold of Mai's shoulders as gently, yet forcefully, as he could to wake Mai from her slumber. "Mai! Mai, wake up!" He shook a little harder when his first attempt yielded no reply. "This is no time to sleep; you have been doing enough of that already!"

Slowly, Mai slid her eyes open after feeling the sensation of someone touching her. Naru sighed with relief even though she took what felt like forever to actually wake up. He didn't know why, but he felt extremely anxious. "Come." Naru voiced simply and without waiting for a reply as he dragged Mai to the kitchen for some lunch.

Mai started to eat as soon as she was seated at the table. She had become quite proficient at it and the cooking wasn't bad at all. The food was always prepared in an easy way for her to eat, so it was no longer difficult in the least.

"Mai." Naru found it rather odd at how silent the girl was being. Mai raised her head to the direction of his voice immediately, her vacant eyes staring off at nothing. "You're coming with us to the office, is there anything you need?"

Expecting a swift answer, Naru was surprised that he was faced with Mai merely opening her mouth and closing it again without saying a word; her hand slowly grasped at her neck and her brows furrowed in worry. "Mai?" Naru asked as he pushed himself up from his chair in concern.

'My voice…' her lips said what her voice could not.

"Get on the phone and tell everyone to meet at the office at once." Naru clenched his fists in anger atop the table. How could this have happened? How could he not have seen it sooner?

~Chapter 16 End~

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A/N: Wooooo another chapter down! Getting closer to the end! Please review! Thank you ^_^


	17. Chapter 17

"Mai!" Ayako immediately exclaimed upon seeing the girl enter the office, Naru right at her side. "What in the world happened to you! You look awful!"

Putting on a brave façade, Mai smiled and tried to tell the Miko it wasn't that bad, but her expression dropped when words refused to come out of her open mouth. It hadn't been that long, yet it was just one more thing. She had forgotten that not only had she lost her sight, but her voice as well.

"Mai can't speak, nor can she see." Naru moved further into the office lobby dragging Mai along.

"What!" More than one voice exclaimed.

"Sit down and I will explain the situation."

In a short time, the tea had been served and everyone had taken their seats ready to listen. As much as Mai wanted to listen in she, as usual, felt heavy and ready to sleep. She was so exhausted. Words would have a hard time describing the level of tired that she was.

Without meaning to, Mai began to sink down into the couch she was sitting on, her body was giving out. "Don't let her fall asleep! Do whatever you have to do to keep her awake." Naru snapped and Bou-san shook Mai back into consciousness.

'What?' Mai mouthed in Naru's direction.

"Stay awake. I'm not going to let you sleep." Naru's voice was sharply serious and everyone in the room knew he meant business. "I think Mai's condition may have something to do with the spirit from the last case."

"What do you mean?" John asked confused.

"When we left the manor over a week ago, Mai lost her sight. That night at the hospital the doctor told us that her condition was only temporary and that with caution and care she would recover. But as you can see, that has not been the case. Her condition has deteriorated drastically and today she lost the ability to speak. The doctor had no explanation for her condition or loss of her voice. With medical reasons ruled out for the most part, I think it is only logical that we consider this an affect from the case." Naru explained with as little emotion as possible.

"How could that be? We all saw the spirit get exorcized right before our eyes!" Bou-san questioned doubtfully, shaking Mai awake again for what felt like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. "Besides, Mai isn't possessed."

"I realize this and that her symptoms are something completely new, but even so her declining health and ragged appearance are not. The way Mai sleeps all the time but remains tired is consistent with the testimony from the family." Naru didn't want to admit it, but he had to acknowledge that it was indeed the case.

"That may be so, but still how can that possibly be? I have never heard of something like this happening!" Ayako had a valid point. There was no precedent for what they were seeing and they were not even sure if it was related to the case or not. Mai didn't give off the feeling of having anything supernaturally off. She merely looked sick…worn down and ill, yet medical science had no answers for her ailment.

"I don't know." Naru admitted softly. "But something has to be done, Mai is getting worse."

Naru didn't like to see any one close to him ill or in pain, but seeing Mai in such a state hurt him more than he expected it would. He was so sure that her clumsiness had finally gotten the better of her and that she would be fine, yet the doctors were as stumped as he was. No matter how he looked at it, supernatural forces did not seem to be in play…but how could they not? Naru didn't know what was going on and he didn't like it one bit.

"I suppose our next move should be to head back to the original site and check things out there." Bou-san suggested sincerely. It was about the only option open to them given the circumstances.

The family had not called to report anything out of the ordinary and when called recently, they had reported that everything was fine; Naru wanted to see for himself if that was indeed the case. He never was one to believe in something unless he verified it with his own eyes. He never could trust someone without reason.

"Are you sure you don't know anything Mai?" Naru slid a piece of paper and a pen to the edge of her fingertips. He knew that she had a propensity to be a well of information that more times than not, she tended to keep to herself. Even if she knew something, Mai often disregarded it as unimportant or that she didn't want to trouble anyone with. How preposterous…

Mai perked and she shook her head from side to side slowly. She picked up the pen and sloppily jotted down that she really didn't know anything. As scary as it was, she was just as much in the dark as everyone else so to speak. She hadn't caught a glimpse of anything that even remotely explained what was happening to her or why.

"Fine." He seemed disappointed but didn't push the matter. "It's decided then that it would be best to return to the manor. Meet back here tomorrow morning and we will make the trip." Naru stood and looked down at Mai from the corner of his eye. He really did hate the sensation that was welling up within his chest. No matter how much he tried to suppress it or ignore it, the feeling refused to dissipate. "Matsuzaki-san, stay with Mai here in the office tomorrow until we return. She doesn't need the added stress of a long car ride."

Tomorrow they would see for themselves where it all began…and maybe where it would all end…

~x~

Blue, sunny skies did not reflect Naru's gloomy nature. The trip back to the manor had been a waste; it yielded nothing. The arrived to find, just as the family had stated, that everything was fine. The family had experienced no problems what so ever and they were all looking much healthier than before.

Masako and the others worked the house meticulously before confirming that nothing was there. What ever had been there before was there no longer. Naru didn't care much for their conclusion even though it was the correct one. Masako claimed that she didn't feel anything there, but that was also the case when they were at the manor in the first place. Naru would have liked more proof to go on but it didn't look like he would be able to get his way this time.

They didn't have much of a choice but to return home, baffled and without answers. From the evidence Naru inspected at the house, the spirit seemingly was no longer there but it didn't help explain why Mai's circumstances were so different if it was indeed the same spirit plaguing her as the one that had been in the house?

"Come on Mai." Naru coaxed. "You need to eat some dinner at least." Since they had returned to the office and finally back home, it was near impossible to keep Mai awake for any length of time. Naru found himself much, much more than worried. It seemed no matter what he or Lin did, Mai simply could not be kept awake…she simply didn't have the energy.

Mai was trapped in her own body…

Heavy eyes fluttered open and Mai managed to chew a few spoonfuls of whatever was for dinner. She wasn't even sure of the taste before she started to feel tired again. She had even fallen asleep in the bathroom earlier in the day. It was getting near impossible to remain awake at all…it was more than just frightening.

"Try to eat some more Mai." Naru commented in all seriousness when he saw Mai stop chewing. "You need to keep eating if you expect to ke-"

Mai's body swayed and her head lurched forward as gravity took its course. Naru swiftly caught Mai's head in his outstretched hands not a moment too soon before she hit the table. "That was close." Lin observed as Naru gently rested Mai's head in a safe position on the table top.

"This is getting ridiculous." Naru sighed and looked at Mai's unfinished plate. She had barely eaten anything. "This can't go on for much longer. She can't stay awake long enough to do anything, let alone eat."

"I agree but the facts are what they are. The manor was normal and didn't have any problems, Mai is no longer possessed, and medical science has no explanations for Mai's state of health. Where do we possibly start?" Lin didn't care about hiding the anxiety in his voice. He didn't have to bluff in front of Naru. He knew that the boy was just as worried, if not more so.

"…good question…"

Where were they going to start? They didn't have much to go on or any solid leads for that matter. But it was clear that they had to come up with something and soon…

~x~

"I'm scared…" Mai mumbled from her fetal sitting position. "…I'm so scared…"

"Mai…" Gene offered a pat of reassurance but he knew no amount of comfort could ease the girl's fear…and rightly so.

"I…I don't feel like myself anymore…it's like there is something else there…" Mai admitted not even bothering to lift her head. She had known from the very beginning that something was not right but she never thought it would accumulate to this extent. She didn't want to be a burden or bring trouble to anyone, yet she had done just that without even trying. She was utterly helpless as she was.

How foolish she had been thinking it would all go away if she just waited it out. What was she expecting? Deep down she had always known it was the house…probably since that very first dream before they had even arrived. She didn't feel right then and Mai sure as hell didn't feel right now.

Why would all this happen?

Mai had no explanation to offer. She didn't see it…she had no clue. What was happening to her had never happened at that house so why now? Why her?

"I agree with you on that point Mai…but there is no proof or even an explanation as to how it could be a spirit…especially the one from that house." Gene lost himself in thought for a moment. "I suspect it is the work of 'that' spirit, but I just don't know why or how it could be…"

It really was so. How could it be the spirit that was exorcized and driven out? No one felt anything, not even Masako who is a medium, so how could it be? It just didn't make sense.

Suddenly, Mai shuddered as she felt cold shivers run up her spine. "Gen-" she immediately started to call but a pair of ghostly, pale hands slipped over her eyes and mouth, gripping painfully hard.

Eyes widened in shock, Gene rushed forward toward the blackened abyss but couldn't seem to reach any closer no matter how hard he tried. Frantically fighting against her attacker, Mai screamed into the hand as loudly as she could, as if her life depended on it. She struggled as hard as she could but the hold held good…she was inescapably trapped.

Mai stiffened, holding in the scream of terror that threatened to escape any second, when she felt another pair of large, cold hands slowly inch around her neck from either side…ever so slowly tightening their grip and constricting her air flow.

What little calm Mai had left was quickly gone and she screamed wildly, thrashing every which way she could manage. It was difficult to breath with her mouth blocked and even more so with her airway failing more with every passing second. Terrifying could not even come close to what Mai was feeling at that moment…sheer, desperate…horror…

~Chapter 17 End~

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A/N: Moving right along so please review and let me know what you think!


	18. Chapter 18

Jolting upright, Naru awoke to the sound of a loud crash. Worry washed over him as he rushed into the hall, he knew what awaited him couldn't possibly be good. He was soon joined by Lin and they both quickly made their way to his bedroom. He flicked on the lights as fast as his hand could reach the wall only to reveal Mai plastered in the corner trembling beyond control, the look of sheer terror etched on her face. She was gasping for air and bloody from stumbling and crawling through the broken shatters of the table lamp she had broken. Lin stared and Naru took but a moment to rush to the girl's side.

Given the situation, words didn't seem near enough to help so Naru did the only thing he could think of left to do…he hugged her. He pulled Mai tightly to his chest and held her close, as close as possible. He could tell how tense she was at first, her whole body going stiff and cold, her trembling form made her seem even more fragile…

"Mai…its okay now, Mai. Calm down. You're safe…" he soothed, petting her head as he spoke. Mai's breathing began to even and she returned Naru's embrace tentatively, she could hear the steady beat of his heart as she pressed her head to his chest; it was okay, she was okay. She couldn't recall a time she had ever been so scared, well maybe that one time…but not as of late, and she definitely didn't ever want to be again. Even against Naru's warm body, Mai couldn't help but feel cold. Her heart beat wildly inside her chest and no matter how deeply she breathed she still felt out of breath.

Wordlessly, Naru gently hoisted Mai from the floor and into his arms and carried her into the kitchen. Lin turned on the lights and set off for the first-aid kit while Naru smoothly placed Mai at the table, giving her a pen and some paper before he too took a seat. Lin returned after a short moment and started to make tea, since from the look of it, they were going to be in for a long remainder of the night.

Grasping the pen tightly, in a panicked rush, Mai tried to write what had happened to her…though quite poorly would be kind in describing her writing to say the least. She was still far from calm. She needed to get out what she could; she had to let Naru know.

"Slow down, Mai." Naru ordered as he picked through her scribble. Lin offered tea which Naru was more than grateful for as he was trying to decipher Mai's rushed writing…he needed it. Lin joined him and settled at the table once he had placed the tea and started to clean the cuts Mai had gotten from the broken lamp.

"These hands…did you see whom they belonged to?" Naru asked trying to hide his concern. Mai shook her head 'no' and went on to scribble that she didn't feel anything either…it was purely the hands out of nowhere.

Naru glared darkly and exchanged looks with Lin as he finished patching up all the cuts on Mai. He wanted to continue the conversation in private once Mai was back in bed but from the look of it, that was unlikely. Lin understood without Naru even voicing it; he knew they needed to talk but it wasn't the time or the place for it. Mai came first and right then she still seemed terribly frightened and exhausted.

Lin excused himself and Naru assured they would pick this up in the morning; the information was much too important to pass up. Resigned, Naru made his way to the couch and settled in; he would clean up his room later. He gazed at Mai's slightly trembling form sitting beside him, he couldn't just leave her.

Mai felt terrible; not only physically but mentally as well. She was causing so much trouble and now Naru was sitting up with her in the middle of the night. She was much too scared to go back to bed even though she was so inescapably tired.

Sitting in the silence, it was only a matter of time before Mai's body had other plans; she tottered to the side and fell asleep while still clinging onto Naru's hand, draped across his lap.

~x~

"This whole thing is much more urgent than I had first anticipated and far from being natural…" Naru fumed from the kitchen table, letting his eyes wander back to Mai's still sleeping form upon the couch. She had been so terrified yet was still unable to stay awake despite her best efforts.

"Something has to be done soon." Lin sat at the table and took a sip of his tea. "This can't go on for much longer."

Naru knew that all too well, it couldn't go on, yet he had no idea what to do about it. Had he always been this powerless or was it that he was just now starting to feel so? Either or, he didn't like it and it wasn't in his nature to just put up with it.

Mai was asleep to the world and was blissfully ignorant of her surroundings. She had been dragged to the office come morning and Naru had promptly called in the rest of the team to join them there. "She looks terrible!" Ayako exclaimed as soon as she made it into the lobby of the space where Mai was asleep on the couch. "How long has she been like this?" The Miko rested her hand gently on Mai's forehead.

"She had another vision last night." Naru explained in monotone. "Apparently ghost-like hands were covering her eyes and mouth while another pair constricted around her neck. She was absolutely beyond herself with fear and obviously the situation has gotten worse. Something needs to be done."

"Yes, but what!" Bou-san pointed out, not hiding his troubled tone in the least. "What can we do that hasn't already been done?"

"We don't even have any leads we can go on…." John added dimly.

"And even if we did have any, does Mai even have the time left for us to be chasing possibilities?"

That was the very point that everyone knew but didn't dare bring up. Mai was wasting away, loosing herself bit by bit. Did she have the time for them to be wrong? Did she have time to spare at all? From the looks of it, the clock was ticking and it was ticking fast…

~x~

Wearily and all too uncertain, Mai's eyes fluttered open to her worse nightmare. Rather than being greeted by the sounds of the office or of Naru's house, she was met with dismal darkness and nothingness…the last place she wanted to be.

A low groan escaped Mai's throat and the trembling started without her even thinking about it. The fear she felt was tangible. The horror she had felt when the hands had arrived and the dread of them returning could not easily be pushed aside no matter how hard she willed it.

"Sorry…" Mai startled at the sudden familiar voice. "So…sorry…sorry I was unable to help you…" Gene hung his head. Since he had met Mai, he had felt so needed…so alive. But he had never felt as utterly useless as he did at that time. Even though he was right there he could not reach Mai, couldn't free her from her fears or from the danger. Gene hated it more than words could ever express. He wasn't all that different from his brother in that regard, that much was for certain.

Mai felt disheartened just watching Gene. It was clear he was guilt ridden and down but Mai didn't even want to think about what it would have been like had she been alone. "Thank you Gene…really…thank you for being there with me none the less. It's so much better when you're not alone…" She smiled at his reaction and Gene returned the gesture kindly. He hadn't thought of it in that light…leave it to Mai to so quickly lift his mood. No matter who she was with, she always managed to brighten everything regardless of who or what.

"Thank you…"

"Thank you too…"

"Ah!" Gene exclaimed suddenly. "I have a theory about what's going on that Noll should look into immediately. I have been thinking about this for some time…"

Mai perked. "Oh?"

"I suspect you, me, and the others can't feel or sense the 'spirit' because it was never like that from the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Mai met his eyes expectantly.

"I think it's a parasite." Gene explained. "In order to grow, it's most likely feeding off your energy and trying to mature. The more it takes, the more you loose…and that could explain why you sleep all the time."

Mai cocked her head to the side, "Why I sleep so much?" Mai was aware of the problem but she didn't actually think it was a direct effect of something. She thought that maybe her body was trying to go into recovery mode or something.

"Yes…" Gene paused. "The parasite doesn't want you to waste any energy. By making you sleep all the time and making you unable to stay awake, it is securing its food source. It's easier to feed and get energy when you are totally immobile." He looked on at Mai's stunned expression. "You sleeping all the time is an imperative clue and symptom that should not be overlooked."

Shuddering at the thought, all Mai could think of was some kind of larva inside a caterpillar feeding off the insides until it ultimately burst free of the spent carcass once it had its fill and matured. Images swirled in her head that she had learned about in school and from TV; could it maybe be akin to some kind of tape worm taking all the nutrients for itself while the host wasted away as it grew and grew? Either way, it grossed her out that something like that could possibly be in her, or possessing her as it were. Could a spirit like that even be possible?

Mai could see how Gene's logic made sense…and she was sure, knowing him, he had spent lingering days pondering and working through all the possibilities that came to mind…but could it really happen?

She dearly wanted to know more, but before Gene had the time to explain any further, the icy, ghostly hands materialized from the darkness and entangled Mai tightly. She frantically clawed at the hands at her neck and those covering her mouth with little success. The icy feeling seeped from their grasp around her eyes all the way through her body like cold water, Mai quivered uncontrollably. Gene rushed forward, but once again was blocked from coming any closer. Mai fought as hard as she could, with all the strength she could muster, screaming and flailing as she listened to Gene's frantic calls.

Abruptly, another set of hands appeared to either side of Mai…translucent and silent in their arrival. Without warning, they clutched her head tightly, completely covering her ears in the process. Mai became rigid and was overcome with fear before she began to thrash wildly against the hands holding her in place.

"Mai!"

~Chapter 18 End~

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A/N: Thank you everyone who is still following this story! We are getting closer to the end! Please keep me posted on how you like it so far! Thanks!


	19. Chapter 19

"Mai!"

Flailing, Mai flung herself to the floor as she fell from the couch with a thud. Her eyes shot open and she pawed at her surroundings in a panic. She was in a wild fright, the look of horror illuminated on flushed cheeks.

"Mai?" What in the world?" Bou-san exclaimed as he reached for the frenzied girl. She seemed confused and very out of sorts to say the least. She wasn't well at all before but she looked even worse now. Was she having an attack of sorts?

"Mai, are you okay!" Ayako added when Mai failed to respond, but Mai ignored everything; she was in a frantic panic as she pawed around the table desperately searching for anything she could use…knocking over cups and everything else in her way.

"What's wrong, Mai?" Her friends called from around her, taken aback by her behavior, but Mai couldn't hear them…she couldn't hear anything.

Finally, Mai touched the shape she had been looking for; a pen.

She ripped the cap off and grabbed the nearest paper she could feel strewn on the table top. She had no idea what the page was but she rapidly jotted down the only word that came to mind…

'Parasite!'

"Mai calm down!" Ayako tried to grab Mai's shoulders but Mai was hitting the table and thrusting the page she was clutching in every direction. She didn't know where her friends were but they had to see it…had to know what Gene had hypothesized.

"Mai?" Naru questioned as he watched the scene. Usually when she heard his voice she would…

That had to be it…

"She can't hear you." Naru voiced amidst the panic. It was so obvious now that Mai had lost her hearing. Shifting smoothly, Naru slid seamlessly behind Mai and inched his arm around her waist, pulling her backward into him. It wasn't even seconds before Mai calmed down, standing still and easy. Mai knew that embrace, that touch, those warm, confident hands…she tapped on the table by the piece of paper drawing attention back to it.

"Parasite…" Naru read aloud while squeezing Mai's hand with his own in affirmation. The message had gotten through and Mai nodded before she settled herself back upon the couch, sitting calmly. Sure, she was scared out her mind…she couldn't see, couldn't speak, nor could she hear…but she knew that she was not alone; Naru was right there with her and he would help her, she knew he would…Mai wasn't afraid.

"What the hell does she mean by 'parasite'?" Bou-san gave the paper an odd look. He wanted answers but Mai was in no condition to give them. She probably knew, or had seen, 'something' but communication and her consciousness were both huge obstacles to be dealt with. From the look etched on her face from moments before, she had probably had another vision. The hands that had scared her so had probably once again struck fear into her being…

"…drains…from a host…" Naru mumbled softly. He was in thought; a parasite by definition was an organism that lived in or on a host organism giving no benefit to the host, often bringing harm in fact, while gaining all the benefits for itself.

"It's a parasitic spirit…" Naru concluded shortly gaining him several blank stares around the room.

"What the hell is that!" Bou-san exclaimed making himself look like an idiot…which in this case he was.

Lin wordlessly rose and started collecting books off the shelf and placed the pile on the table for everyone to consult. They had a fairly extensive library in the office, book shelves filled to capacity, yet still only a few books proved relevant. From his knowledge alone, little was documented on such spirits that were categorized as 'parasitic' but it was certainly a possibility that fit the situation at hand.

Just like a parasitic organism, the spirit required a host to survive. In essence, a parasitic spirit needed something living in order to keep it in existence. The spirit will leech energy from a host, or hosts, until it has gained enough power to mature or move on…what ever the goal may be.

"How can that be though?" John pointed out. "We took care of the spirit already and Mai's case is much different…"

"Most likely…" Lin started, looking at the screen of his laptop closely, "a piece was left behind when Mai was first possessed." If the theory was correct, in order for it to work…the original spirit had to have been at fault. When it possessed Mai it was no ordinary spirit and as such it must have left some ruminant, Lin assumed, for what they were seeing now to fit into the hypothesis.

"What do you mean?" Masako actually questioned, seemingly genuinely interested in the line of thought. She had been at as much of a loss as everyone else but they finally had something to go on, even if it was a very rare phenomenon indeed.

"Like a tape worm?" John looked to Naru.

"I surmise as much." Naru folded his arms and rested his weight against the desk at his back. "Like a tape worm, even if the spirit's body was gone, if it left a piece of itself behind, that piece alone could become a whole new individual."

Similar to Lin, Naru was aware of the type of spirit Mai was alluding to, but it was rare and hardly documented. Precedence was virtually unheard of. But even so, Naru was knowledgeable enough to deduce what had likely transpired.

"Mai's energy was probably enough to allow it to grow and thrive unlike the other family members at the house who were essentially already spent of their energy." Naru continued. "Most likely that is why we witnessed the spirit moving from one person to the next so rapidly and sporadically; it had no choice but to move around in order to get enough energy, because no single person was suitable. It probably wanted to stay attached to Mai longer but we forced it out and as a survival mechanism, it left a piece of itself behind. It might even be that the spirit itself was not strong enough to possess anyone with too much power or with strong defenses; therefore the family and Mai were perfect targets. Mai had the energy but lacked any defense whatsoever. Either way, it needed a steady host with ample feed in order to survive."

"But it…" John started softly, "It says here that the host is often killed…"

More than one set of eyes glanced over at the doll-like Mai seated upon the couch. She was in much worse shape than any of the family had been at the house. The wear and tear on her body was crystal clear; she didn't have much time…

~x~

Time moved swiftly and by afternoon Mai had long since fallen into oblivious sleep, actually more like a coma given her state. The rest of the team had been feverously researching and formulating a plan ever since they learned of Mai's hypothesis, picked up from her vision no doubt. Failure was not as option and they probably only had one chance to make it work…

It was obvious they were going to have to draw the 'spirit' out into the open, but like before they knew they couldn't just exorcise it or destroy it; there was a high probability that the spirit would just remake itself once again. They absolutely needed to make it completely leave Mai without leaving anything behind.

"We know what needs to be done, but how the hell should we go about this?" Bou-san asked with well placed anxiety. Books and references scattered the office, but it didn't seem like they had made much headway. They needed more to go one if they were going to have a successful plan of action.

"We can't just do what we did last time." Ayako sighed. She didn't like not being able to do anything and even worse…being incapable of doing anything…

"…I'll be the bait…" Naru said rather abruptly, a stern resolve already in place. "My energy should be more than enough to tempt and lure that thing out of Mai. She doesn't have much more to offer, so I am sure it will be more than eager to move on to greener pasture."

"Absolutely not!" Lin snapped harshly, fixing his young boss with a dark glare. "It's much too dangerous!"

"I have to agree Naru-bou. We just can't risk it!" Bou-san was clearly in agreement with Lin on this one as were the others. They all wanted to help Mai and knew they had to do something soon, but it was much too risky using Naru of all people as bait. "How the hell are we supposed to deal with it once it's taken the 'bait'? There is no telling what would happen and we have no idea what that thing is capable of, especially once it is strong. We don't have a plan for that scenario and besides, its too dangerous for everyone to get you involve-"

"I'll deal with it once it's out, that I assure you." Naru interjected darkly, cutting off the monk easily. "I won't let it become a problem."

"That's not a plan!" Bou-san bit back. "We have no idea what this thing is or how strong it is now!" All this time, it had been feeding off of Mai…he knew they needed to act, like everyone else; Mai didn't have any time left. There was only one thing left for it to take…and that was her very life. But the monk also knew very well the full extent of what would happen if Naru got involved…and worse case…possessed himself.

"Leave it to me."

"No!" Lin protested adamantly.

"We can't!" Bou-san exclaimed at the same time. "You should know it best yourself that you can -not- do this."

"He's right, you can't risk it!" Lin pressed with tangible tension in his voice.

"Do you have a better idea!" Naru demanded angrily, silencing the room instantly. "Mai will die if nothing is done and I am the only one here with even a remote chance of success. We can't afford to wait on this!"

"That may be the case, but-"

"We can't -not- act!" Naru cut off Lin and the others that had wanted to argue. They were wasting too much time as it were on such a useless and unnecessary conversation. There were no other clear options. He knew the members of his team and he knew what their strengths were, but none of them had much of a chance in tempting the spirit. It was only rational that he would be the best choice to use when confronting a power hungry, mindless parasite. If anything, he was a walking vessel of spiritual energy…

They had to do 'something' and they had to do it now…

~Chapter 19 End~

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A/N: Sorry for making this one short and somewhat uneventful, but I promise to get more chapters out soon! I am pretty sure I can wrap this up in a few more! Can't wait! Please review! Thanks!


	20. Chapter 20

The afternoon sun waned, ushering in a clear and perfect early evening. Puffy white clouds hung lazily in the pale blue sky. A soft breeze played lightly with Mai's brunette hair as Naru gently plucked her sleeping body from the van and carried her to a nearby bench. They had decided, though quite reluctantly and not by choice in the least for some, to relocate to a shrine outside of town.

"Mai…" Naru spoke softly, taking a knee at her side and grasping her much too cold hand. "Brown-san and the others are going to draw the spirit out…" he squeezed her hand in reassurance. "So, hold on just a bit longer…don't even think about going anywhere else." He knew she couldn't hear him and he knew she was unconscious, but somehow the words helped himself calm down more than anything.

Naru didn't want to admit it, but deep down he was worried…he was planning something uncharacteristically stupid after all. He was worried his plan wouldn't work, plain and simple. Mai would still be trapped with some spirit eating away at her like an unseen disease. He was worried that the plan would work but not solve the problem; maybe the damage already done to Mai would be too great and beyond repair…maybe she could not be fixed. Naru didn't even want to dwell on that possibility in the least; the consequences were much too scary. He was also slightly worried that he would, in fact, become a problem…that was a situation he didn't want to admit to but was aware of none the less.

Naru was worried about the endless number of possibilities, too many to name.

Unbeknownst to Naru, Mai was inescapably worried as well. She couldn't stand being in such utter isolation. She had never been so confined, even if she was practically trapped in her own body. The feeling alone was enough to make her sick. There was nothing like being aware of such desolation, such emptiness within one's self. She wasn't with Naru, she wasn't with Gene…she wasn't anywhere and the isolation was driving her mad.

Mai could truly appreciate the so called 'little things' she had heard so much about but had never given much thought to. They were her saving grace; if it wasn't for the faint sensations of warmth when her skin was touched, or the light breeze over her flesh when someone was near, close enough for her to feel their breath…Mai surely would have gone mad. She was barely able to take it as it was.

The darkness was no place for her; she didn't want to be alone…not anymore…

Naru startled when Mai suddenly lurched to the side and gasped, a strangled breathy noise ripping its way from her throat. He quickly joined her on the bench and searched her vacant eyes for answers. Could she not breathe? Was she in pain? Naru held onto Mai as if she was as fragile as glass but no touch seemed to reach her wounded wakefulness.

Something was wrong; something felt terribly off and Mai desperately clutched at Naru and clung onto his side with her free hand. She didn't know what was happening but nothing felt right. Her perception was all off, she felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't scream in pain and her tears refused to flow. Her body was rigid, like it was already shutting down, and it felt like the most difficult task she had ever done just to cling to the form of Naru for dear life.

Questioning what was wrong, Naru quickly felt helpless when he realized Mai had no way of communicating with him. She couldn't talk, couldn't hear him calling, and couldn't see his fears etched all over his face. Mai was seizing up; her fingers contorted in painfully stiff postures as her muscles locked and her body froze up. They had run out of time…

"We need to do this, now!"

Tearing himself away, Naru left a broken and seizing Mai alone on the bench as she gasped for air and contorted stiffly on its surface. He moved away as John, Ayako, and Bou-san began to draw the spirit out.

Quickly trying to interject, Lin moved forward but it was already past the point of no return; the spirit was already being driven out. Soundless screams poured from Mai's open mouth, her body arched at a painful angle, her limbs flailing limply.

Seconds seemed like years until finally Mai's body began to emanate, the invader starting to show itself. It had no form, no shape to speak of; just a mass hovering closely over Mai's all too prone body defensively. Even without a form, it was clearly like a predator guarding its hard fought kill from all those that wished to claim it.

Naru glared darkly, if it wanted a fight he would gladly give it. He could be just as much of a predator. Silently, seething, Naru gathered his own building spiritual energy, seemingly giving form to his rising anger. How dare anything bring harm to someone he cared about and expect to get away with it. In his mind he knew what he was doing was terribly foolish…and incredibly stupid…and that there was probably a better way to handle the situation if he had thought more about it…but for some reason it seemed only Mai could provoke such a response in him.

It was a mystery to Naru, Mai affected him like no one else could…even though he hadn't known her for all that long. She incited him to do foolish things he normally never thought he would do…

Energy seeped and spilled forth from Naru's body as he continued to draw more and more power; the parasite emerging more and more every passing second. Time seemed to slow, but in reality not much time had passed before it became obvious that the spirit mass had completely pulled free from Mai's seizing body. She looked as if she was being physically wounded, her body contorted in pain.

Naru cringed but he tried to push the image from his mind and focus on the task at hand. He had to. There was no other choice at the moment. The spirit was lurking toward his figure, slowly…eerily.

It was time.

Elegant and swift in his movement, Naru offered up his collected energy to the hovering mass which all too willingly and hastily absorbed the presented food. The first step of the plan was proceeding just as Naru had hoped. The spirit had been pulled free from Mai and had taken the bait. Naru quickly stole a glance to the bench where Mai rested; she looked like a limp corpse, unmoving and devoid of life. His chest hurt terribly with just that moment's glance, but hr had to proceed to the next step at all costs.

In theory, the parasitic spirit should act and behave like any other organism. It survived by consuming energy, a food source, and grew accordingly. If an organism was unable to feed, unable to acquire the energy needed to function, then it would perish…starve to death as it were. But the opposite was also true; too much food, engorging to capacity, could bring about a collapse of vital functions…bring about death. An organism could only intake so much before there would be a breaking point…

Naru only hoped that the theory would hold…it had to…

~x~

There was ample energy, Naru knew he had more than enough to offer…but with every passing second with no results, Naru began to worry. The mass just continued to absorb. It enveloped and clung over Naru like a dense rain cloud, with a much darker aura of course. What if it wouldn't ever be sated? What if it couldn't be filled? Their entire plan would fail and there would probably be more than one body to clean up afterward.

Lin watched on in horror at the scene playing out before him. Mai was still, the others looked spent, and Naru seemed to be engaged in the battle of his life. He was doing everything he could to hold his defenses in place even though it appeared as if he were being consumed where he stood. Naru was filling it with everything he had but Lin knew he was running out of time. There was no way Naru could continue the strain much longer; he would die before long if he used too much energy.

Panicked, Lin mentally ran through every option he could think of. He and the others were utterly useless in such a power struggle and it seemed like there was no end to it at all. The spirit seemed sated at least…

Its form contorted to and fro, darkening and twisting like thick fabric in heavy wind. Was it starting to break down? Or was it finally strong enough to overpower all of them? Lin didn't know…

Suddenly, Naru's legs gave way and he took a knee under the overwhelming pressure. It was now or never…with one last surge of power, Naru gave everything he had left to the mass surrounding him. In a flash, the spirit broke down and dissipated like fog in the sun, destroyed.

It took only moments for Naru to see that he had won before his body gave out and he collapsed to the ground below. His weary eyes gazed upon the bench a short distance away from his fallen position. Mai was unmoving; she looked empty…like a life-less doll. If he had the strength, Naru surly would have cried. There was nothing left to hold the tears back after all, but Naru was far too weak. He had greatly overdone it and found himself on the brink of death as well. That prospect didn't concern him as much as it probably should have though. If the image that was burned into his memory in the last seconds of his consciousness held, then he deserved it.

Had he been too late? Was Mai already dead; the damage inflicted too great for her frail condition? Could Mai possibly be alive but beyond help? What was done was done after all. Would she forever be stuck in the condition she was now? Naru couldn't help but be riddled with guilt and self loath in his fleeting thoughts before he could no longer think, the darkness taking over completely.

Mai's vacant eyes watched as Lin and the other rushed to Naru's side, her breathing was shallow…almost nonexistent; it was like her very life had been pulled away along with the spirit. It had taken much more than she herself had realized; she was too weak to do anything. She felt entirely drained and empty, like a part of her was missing.

Someone was calling her name frantically, voices resounded around her, but she could only faintly make out the muffle. She still couldn't hear, but somehow bits where making it through. It sounded almost as if they were echoes…slight traces of sound left behind. Mai could make out Lin sternly calling for Naru. It was unlike him to raise his voice, and yet it was so very loud…

Realizing what she had just registered moments before, Mai gasped deeply. Naru…Naru, he had done something and was now in trouble. She couldn't bear the thought and willed her body to move with every fiber of her being. Was he hurt? Was he possessed? Or worse…was he dead?

With an impulsive thud, Mai fell from the bench startling Bou-san and Ayako in the process. They had been by her side as soon as they could reach her and up until that point, Mai had been like a corpse.

They were saying something but Mai couldn't hear it. She wasted no time at all before she started to crawl frantically in the direction she believed Naru to be in. She clawed at the ground, scraping her limbs on the rough cobble until she finally grasped Naru's fallen body. Prostrating herself over his form, Mai sighed as she felt the slight rise and fall of his chest…the faint beating of his heart…he was alive.

They were both alive…even if just barely.

Mai opened and closed her mouth over and over again mouthing Naru's name, but the words refused to be spoken, she just didn't have the strength. "N…" she cracked softly. "N…ru" she continued relentlessly, refusing to give up. She needed to find her voice again. She wanted to speak his name if it was the last thing she did.

The ambulance had arrived ad there was activity all around. There were voices and quite the commotion, but Mai couldn't hear it. Even if she could, she wouldn't have cared…

"Naru…"

~Chapter 20 End~

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A/N: Wow, another chapter down...nearing the end! Next chapter finishes it! Please review and let me know how you liked it! Should have last chapter up next Friday! And if you all want an epilogue, it will be done by Saturday...I promise!


	21. Chapter 21

A ray of light vengefully assaulted Naru's face forcing him to unwillingly crack open his eyes. The damned light continued to attack him and he squinted against the brightness. He was in the hospital that much was clear. The tell tale white walls, sterile stench, and bland ceiling told Naru everything he needed to know. It didn't seem like it was that long ago when another case had landed him in a similar situation under similar conditions. He didn't like it either way.

He had pretty much figured that this would be the case; he had done a pretty stupid thing after all. Naru was fortunate to be alive actually. Through it all though, he had heard Mai's small, trembling voice and knew he couldn't go anywhere. Beyond Mai's voice, it was almost like something else was blocking his way…making sure he didn't go anywhere. Either way, he was alive…though it didn't change the fact that he felt terrible. It felt like he had been smashed into a wall, tossed off a cliff…and then crushed under that very same wall…

"Awake?" A soft voice drew Naru's attention to the side where Lin was calmly reading through some papers. Naru groaned. "Would you like anything?" Lin questioned, chuckling lightly.

"No, where's Mai? How is she?" The bed next to him in the hospital room was empty. A pit formed in his stomach at the mere thought that his efforts didn't work and that somehow Mai was still…the image of Mai moments before he lost consciousness flashed through his mind, Naru felt sick.

"She's fine." Lin quickly assured seeing the growing distress etched on his young charge's face. Of course, she wasn't exactly 'fine' but for all relevant purposes, his response was correct. "She's recovering her strength slowly but surly." Lin smiled and pointed to the far side of the room.

Naru followed his line of sight until his eyes fell on Mai's sleeping form, curled tightly in one of the oversized chairs positioned in the corner of the room. His mind immediately wondered why she wasn't in a damn hospital bed with at least two IV's hooked up to her, forcing much needed meds directly into her veins…where she couldn't get away from them in the least. Her color still looked awful by any normal standard, but it was better than when he had last looked upon her. Her sleeping seemed much more normal…like actual sleeping should be, not some coma like paralysis.

Releasing the sigh he didn't even know he was holding, Naru was relieved beyond words that Mai seemed to be okay for the most part. He didn't even know how much time had passed, or how long he had been unconscious, but at that moment nothing else seemed to matter.

"Mai…"

The name rolled off his tongue like it had a hundred times before, but this time Naru voiced it more to himself than anything; reassuring himself that she was really there and really safe. He never fully realized how much weight that simple name he had become so familiar with held…

No sooner than his voice had broken the silence of the room, Mai's eyes shot open and she bolted upright, wide eyed and alert. "Naru?" Her voice was wispy and hoarse; it cracked as she tried to speak his name. Mai stumbled from the chair, running into a small table as she lunged forward throwing off her balance. She wobbled to the side and finally grabbed hold of the corner end of the bed before making her way to the side.

Mai smiled brightly, the sheer look of relief and pleasure plastered to her face.

Naru looked on with great concern, possibilities running wild in his head. Was she still unable to see? What of her voice? It sounded so rough and frail. Was she not recovered? Had she caught a cold on top of everything? The endless worries continued to pile up even thought he didn't want them to. "Naru?" Mai's whisper like voice brought his attention back to the concerned girl beside him. She was looking at him with such worry…such a troubled expression…

Naru's eyes widened slightly; she was looking at him…clearly she was focused on him. "Your eyes?"

"Ah…a bit better…" Mai tried to admonish pleasantly. "Blurry…dark…but the doctors said it was healing and it should return to normal soon." She smiled.

Naru twitched at the broken sentence and even more botched voice. "And your voice; hearing?"

"Getting there…" Mai once again tried to convey her words. "I just need some rest…get used to speaking again."

Once again, Naru breathed a sigh of relief though Lin was the only one to notice. The older man was relieved as well even if he didn't show it. He was glad that both Naru and Mai were safe and sound…not too worse for the wear. He was still rather surprised at just how irrational and foolish Naru had been through it all. It was quite unusual to see him go so far for someone…for a mere assistant.

Lin smiled to himself, Naru and Mai were much too distracted with each other to pay him any mind. Only Mai could drive Naru to be so unlike himself. Maybe something would come of it someday?

Either way, Naru had made a step in the right direction and hopefully learned a few things from the whole experience…

What those things were, Lin didn't know but he was pleased to see Naru so…like himself. It was almost as if a burden, a wall, had been lifted.

"Ah! Naru-bou!" Bou-san loudly entered the room. He missed the death glare Naru had immediately shot in his direction, but even if he had noticed he wouldn't have cared. Ayako, John, and Masako followed in soon after, bearing useless gifts and flowers only adding to Naru's murderous intent. "How're you feeling?"

Resisting the urge to make a snide comment, Naru flatly replied that he was fine and left it at that. He was positive everyone was over reacting, similar to last time he had wound up as such. It was simply annoying. Slight irritation arose when Naru took note of how happy and beaming Mai had become. The stupid monk was showering her with sweets and cute flowers that matched her all too well. It was irritating to say the least.

Mai was still far from perfect by any accounts. The wear on her body was still quite obvious, though Naru didn't even want to look at a mirror in his state. He probably matched her quite well. Lin had quickly confirmed that he had been in the hospital, unconscious, for the past four days. It took Mai three of those days to wake up herself.

The doctors gave her a liberal estimate of a month to fully recover to her prior state and Naru vowed that he would get her there come hell or high water. The doctors had given him a tentative hospitalization of a least a week and minimum of another week house rest when he was finally discharged. Certainly not something to look forward to…

Fragrant and sweet, Mai's senses were filled with the lovely aroma of flowers. Inwardly she laughed at the irony; Naru and flowers went together about as well as a cat in a dog kennel. They totally didn't fit, but in an odd way the pure brilliance of flowers complimented Naru perfectly. Paintings of flowers didn't often have a black backdrop for nothing.

Opposites attract. It was a law of science.

Despite the fact that she could barely see them or hear much more than muffle, Mai was pleased that the hospital room was as lively as it was. It had been an endless whirlwind for the past four days. She may have been free from the spirit that burdened her but she was not free from the nightmare.

No amount of soothing could help her in the following days as she lay unconscious in the hospital. Gene lightened the mood and it even seemed like the will o' wisps were trying to cheer her up. He played cute sounding, up beat melodies upon a piano and told her funny stories of his, and Noll's, childhood. The lightheartedness of it all still couldn't prevent Mai from looking over her shoulder every now and then. The fear she had felt towards those ghostly, icy hands would take awhile to fade.

Even so, Mai felt strangely accomplished after the whole ordeal. She had gained so much, innumerable and priceless gifts that she would treasure her whole life…but was forbidden to share; a secret she could never reveal.

She was happy.

Cases and work would take on a whole knew meaning from then on. Everything had changed. Mai only hoped that she would be able to get closer and closer to the one she longed for…her crush as it were. Sure things were a bit backward, but she really did like Naru. It was so unlike a high-school puppy love; crushing for that handsome popular boy from the next class over, no it was so much more than that. Her instincts told her so…

And her instincts were never wrong…

Not really paying much attention to the situation, Mai failed to notice that Naru's tolerance level had finally reached its max. Singled out flowers adorned her hair and bouquets had found their ways to vases around the room. Some time ago, the idiotic monk had finally done something somewhat reasonable and made Mai sit down at the foot of Naru's bed, though Naru couldn't stop his dagger like glares.

Damn…the flowers looked so cute.

Sighing audibly, Naru willed down his annoyance enough so that he wouldn't snap as soon as he opened his mouth. "If you insist on being loud and useless, do it somewhere else."

He was 'not' being jealous, or possessive. It was a hospital, not a social gathering. They completed what it was they had come to do…so they should promptly get the hell out. Naru had no patience for such things. Within moments, his team filed from the room giving their much too cheerful well-wishes and promises to return tomorrow…which Naru dearly wanted to voice that it was not needed in the least, but he didn't want to delay their departure either so he let it slide. He could always kick them out again tomorrow.

"I want tea…" Naru demanded in his characteristic tone. Mai popped up off the bed in seconds, the programmed command for tea much stronger than any rational thought…since apparently tea 'was' the center of the universe after all, before she was suddenly caught off guard.

Naru skillfully grabbed Mai's fleeting wrist and pulled her toward him, toppling her across his lap with a soft thud. She ripened like a sweet apple in mere moments and Naru couldn't help but smirk at the reaction he had elicited. He moved her other arm easily, and soon Mai was comfortably positioned atop Naru, her legs curled to the side of him, her hands held securely to his chest.

Lin quietly excused himself, though he doubted either of the youngsters much cared. Mai had the look of a frightened caught rabbit, stiff and uncertain while Naru clearly displayed the triumphant look of a hunter with his prized game finally within his grasp. Lin wondered how long it would take for either of them to ever realize that their actions could be classified as 'flirting' hands down.

As Lin set off to acquire tea, a small smile on his features, he knew it would probably be some time before either of them got a clue. Naru was obstinately dense when it came to such matters and Mai was innocently naïve. Not to mention, both were quite stubborn in their own right; a perfect match one might say?

Meanwhile, Naru couldn't help but tease the girl in his arms. He never could tire of it, nor did he actually want to…

"Next time…"

"Eh?"

"You can make me tea next time…" Naru patted Mai's head almost affectionately. "Though with your record as of late, I will probably be required to assist you; and here I thought that with the invention of the tea bag even fools like yourself could make decent tasting tea."

Mai flushed, her anger flared and she almost missed the most important part…but luckily for her she really wasn't all that mad, and she wasn't all that unobservant. Her head was dipped, her blush hidden as she leaned into his chest. She didn't want to give Naru the gratification of seeing her like she was.

Mai smiled. Her hands gripped softly on the fabric she found under them. She knew the important things…the things that were and always would be. How could she not smile?

There would be a next time.

And a time after that…

And a time after that…

Mai had the time and if she had anything to say about it, she would be the only one to get tea for that certain someone; time and time again.

~End~

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A/N: There you have it! Man, seems like I have worked on this one for so, so long! It was the very first story I planned for my series, yet it was the last one to be completed! A huge thanks to all those that followed and reviewed and also to my proof reader and holder of the mighty cattle prod, Lina, for forcing me to write this, lol. Thank you!

Epilogue anyone? Yes, no? Please review with ideas or suggestions. Thanks!


	22. Chapter 22

It is said that 'hell hath no fury like a woman scored' and Mai was sure that even demons would hide in fear at the look she was giving her desk at that moment. She wasn't just scorned, she was utterly wrecked.

Naru had insisted, more like literally forced, her to stay in the hospital for a few more days to insure that she was recovering steadily and without complication. Every time she slid into sleep, Naru would become anxious…worry would momentarily wash over his features as she drifted off to sleep. All the times before, Mai was never able to see Naru's reactions to any of her behaviors; it was quite interesting to get a small glimpse of it now.

True to Naru's character, he was also free from the hospital in a matter of days. Mai didn't put it past him to have actually threatened the doctors to discharge him, but she didn't know for sure what had transpired.

It was an awkward couple of days following that. It was practically a free for all battle over a single scrap of meat laid out before several hungry predators; and that piece of meat was Mai. She had been much, much too naïve in the situation.

Waltzing free of the hospital, Mai was certain she would finally be able to return home and attempt to establish some normalcy back into her life. Oh, how wrong she had been. Naru practically demanded that she return home with him until she had completely and fully recovered.

Bou-san had fought back. He argued quite vocally that Naru had monopolized her long enough and that it was time for him to step in and take over. He had a valid point that Naru shouldn't be caring for anyone in his state; he needed to focus on his own recovery. The overly enthusiastic monk didn't listen to a word Mai said as he glomped upon her and attempted to drag her home with him.

Even Masako had offered up her home and care, her mouth hidden conveniently behind her sleeve of course. Mai was sure she was hiding her immense jealousy of the whole thing behind that cute face of hers. The only reason she would even consider such kindness must have been in an attempt to separate her from Naru's side. John was also all too eager to offer his assistance. Mai always had a hard time telling his full-of-good-intention face that she didn't need, nor want, any help.

Before Mai had gotten too caught up with trying to turn down John, Ayako had broken into the battle, fangs bared. She stole Mai from the overly clingy monk and demanded that she would be the one to care for Mai until she was well again. Once again, Mai was totally ignored as she tried to insist that she no longer needed assistance.

Soon the arguing had escalated to an exclusive match between the miko and the monk. Coming from a family of doctors, Ayako argued that she was the most qualified to take care of Mai. Bou-san shot back that there was no way a naggy old woman could meet the needs of a high school girl. This only succeeded in propelling the verbal battle far beyond Mai's situation.

Mai, for what felt like the thousandth time, had tried to establish that she did not need help. She would be fine on her own and would just head home. She only had gotten mid-way through her argument however, when Naru silently and much too skillfully pulled her from the scene and into his awaiting car. It almost seemed as if he had been waiting on the sidelines for the most opportune moment to pull her away from the crowd without a single one of their friends noticing. Lin, the sly cohort that he was, had been ready and waiting in the driver's seat of the car.

Mai decided then that there really was no escape. With Naru the way he was, he would hunt her down if she didn't comply with his wishes and she just didn't feel like dealing with that in the least. She would just play along for a few days and then head home.

And play along she did.

Naru's house, which Mai had pretty much memorized while blind, was interesting to say the least when she was actually able to see it. It was surprisingly normal. Her embarrassment of cohabitating surely would have been much greater if her memories of much, much more embarrassing events were not so fresh in her mind. There really wasn't anything left to worry about at this stage in the game. Mai had but one goal, and only one goal; to return home as soon as possible.

With a bit of severe arguing and stubbornness of her own, Mai did at least win a small triumph while she was in Naru's care; she got the couch. Naru nonchalantly persisted that she sleep in his bed, like she had always done while she was there, though this time Mai vehemently refused. Some tense moments later, and a few words of reason from Lin, finally caused Naru to back down and relinquish control of the couch. Mai couldn't have been more pleased.

The days passed simply, though often interrupted by angry phone calls from a certain monk and miko still angry for her sudden disappearance and refusal to go with either of them. But for the most part, Mai was actually recovering in a lazy and slow paced fashion. Lin worked most of the time, taking needed breaks to force Naru to rest. It was rare for Mai to actually see Naru in such an unguarded state. Even though he put up a strong front, his defenses were quite depleted. Mai couldn't help but think it was cute seeing him as he was; the candid moments she got to see of Naru's weakened state were priceless.

It was almost like their roles were reversed. She could finally see her surroundings, more and more each day. She was able to see Naru just out of bed, and while he ate…even got an eye full of that glorious moment as he strode down the hall directly from his shower.

Life was good.

That was until reality came crashing down upon her. Mai currently sat burning holes in a stack of papers piled upon her desk at the office. It had been approximately a week since she had been discharged from the hospital and Naru had obviously rushed back to the office as soon as he was able. He seemed to be back to his old narcissistic self and didn't show any lingering affects of the ordeal. She on the other hand had recovered her sight for the most part and it no longer caused her any real difficulty, as with her voice. Her ears still felt a bit stuffy, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

"How in the hell am I supposed to deal with all this…" Mai mumbled angrily, forlornly. There, on her office desk, were neatly stacked piles of all the accumulated homework and notebooks she had missed on her 'long term medical leave.' Mai was a decent student but she was no genius…the work presented before her would be near impossible to complete within her lifetime she was sure…it was practically hopeless. Her attention span was already wandering elsewhere and she hadn't even touched a single page…

It was bad, very bad.

"I highly doubt those papers will go anywhere even if you glare at them that darkly." Naru commented condescendingly as he strode through the lobby. "Surely even your level of intelligence can comprehend such simple concepts as these." He smirked knowingly.

"Well according to you, obviously not!" Mai huffed in anger. He didn't need to be so patronizing about it. She was obviously distressed and he wasn't helping at all. "There is no way I can catch up on this much homework!"

"Especially not with your current speed of addressing it." Naru leered. He just loved to tease the girl. "I suggest sitting down and actually working on it before you decide what you can and can not, do."

Naru knew that this was the last answer the infuriated girl wanted to hear. Of course she was missing the main point; the school didn't expect her to catch up all at once. Lin had taken care of Mai's school and they had been very understanding. The older man had been very thorough in collecting the missed materials even though the teachers assured that Mai didn't need them all right away.

Naru pleasantly kept this simple fact to himself. He was highly amused that Mai was practically reduced to slamming her head against the desk in frustration. Would she ask for his help with a cute, pouting expression? Maybe she would demand for it with fire in her eyes? Most likely though, Mai would probably stubbornly tackle the task entirely on her own. She would panic and fret and blow everything out of proportion. She really needed to learn how to step back and look at the big picture; understand that her every action had a consequence.

But for now, Naru would leave it.

He took too much enjoyment in seeing her flustered expression to stop the fun now. He could always help her and use it as blackmail material, or use it to make her slave over him…not that she didn't do that to some extent already. Either way, Naru was going to ignore it, it was more interesting that way.

"I don't even know where to start…" Mai wailed, poking one of the stacks disdainfully. She was so behind that most of the materials seemed totally foreign to her. Could it be that she would be held back a year, forced to repeat? No! Mai refused to even think of something so horrifying. She had to graduate on time no matter what!

"Ah…" Naru started with a sly glint in his eye. "I know a good place to start, Mai…"

The expectant girl perked, endless amounts of hope etched throughout her face. She really was much too naïve for her own good. Naru smirked deviously.

"Tea."

~Epilogue End~

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A/N: So, I gave in a wrote this...hope it tied the story up a bit more...though directly following this story is "Lost Before the Dawn" and after that, "The Depth of Dawning." Still, I had a great time writing it! Suggestions welcome for my next story project! I have about 3 pages on an intro for my next GH adventure...a follow up to the end of the manga series! Will post soon so please check it out! Hope everyone enjoyed reading! Thanks!

Oh I suppose I keep forgetting this part...characters are not mine and sadly, I own nothing! Though I seriously wish I could have Naru in my basement...


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